


What We Saw

by Tokyo2314



Category: Original Work
Genre: Drama, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Modern Era, Multi, Wartime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:21:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25778854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tokyo2314/pseuds/Tokyo2314
Summary: Dustin and Noah were by no means normal, but they made it work. In a world of magic and monsters, Noah was the crown prince to the Nexonian kingdom of Regalia, while Dustin was a mercenary, born to a practical legend amongst the line of work. Friends and lovers for years, the two went everywhere together once old enough to leave home on their own, training and fighting together what seemed almost constantly.However, mistakes happen. During a trip to a country known to be hostile toward the inhuman, Dustin slipped up, allowing themself to be caught- And for Noah to be arrested. They had to make it right, though, with a plan to free not just him, but the other inmates, many unjustly put there, and a plan from the king to free the entire country of its toxic tyranny to bring justice to the many lives ruined and stolen by the hatred plaguing the country for as long as anyone could remember.
Relationships: Carmelo Hionex/Esyou Nero, Cobian Siiau/Ethan Darje, Dustin Clarkson/Noah Hionex
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Major WIP, though work has slowed down. Chapters are not posted on a regular schedule.
> 
> Chapter 1 is very rough and I am very dissatisfied with it. It may get a rewrite, or at the very least, a facelift.

It had become rare for Noah to not accompany Dustin on jobs. The king wasn't necessarily pleased by this, with his rather fragile health, but Dustin had sworn to protect the boy- As a knight, no less, and someone with such a name as they had could surely protect his son. Still, reluctantly, the king allowed the two to venture out into the world together. Not that he could do much about it, though. Noah would leave just the same, were he to forbid it. It was one thing to run to the border between their own kingdom and Cycolt; The waterbreathers were loyal to both kingdoms and by now, knew to watch after the prince. It was one thing to run to Anedonia- The Tarvians were so close to the Nexonians that they were practically related. It was another thing entirely to visit Carne. A land of many names, all unpleasant, and all coming from the monsters who had seen and heard too much there. Or anything at all. The north was fine. Beautiful, even. Had the king not bound himself to ruling a nation, he would have perhaps even moved there. However, in the southern territory, the humans were ruthless. They'd tortured many. Killed many more. Dustin was a criminal, even, though they seemed to take some strange pleasure in this. Perhaps it was like they were doing some good for the monsters if the humans hated them. Hate wasn't even the word when they were a criminal like that. Even so, they continued on, taking jobs, taking risks, just doing what they wanted. The king only cared somewhat when they went alone, and that was because the prince cared. When Noah went along, it was the only thing to occupy his father's mind. What if he were injured? Or killed? What if he were to get sick with no help there? He couldn't visit their hospitals, he wasn't one of them! What if they only further injured him? Or killed him?

The king shook his head and sighed, pressing fingers to his temple. He couldn't win this. Really, he had very few arguments that didn't run into the same reasoning, or the classic 'because I said so', and, well... Dustin was on their knees. Not that that was anything new, but it took a lot to make a proud knight- No, a proud mercenary, to beg. He waved his hand, the two cheering happily. "You may go... On one condition," The two straightened up. "You will both report to me twice a day so that I know that the both of you are alive and safe. Both of you will stay close to the mercenary's association unless it is completely necessary not to do so, and both of you fill your prescriptions before you leave- And call me when you get there." The two nodded silently, faces blank before Dustin grinned once more. "Thanks, Caramello." Noah snickered. The king's cheeks flushed. "We'll be careful, I know you worry." He scoffed. "Carmelo, if you please- And you only get that much because of him," He gestured to his son, who giggled. "Now get out of my sight, the both of you, before I change my mind." Noah linked their arms and grinned. "C'mon, Dustin. Let's go get ready, stop giving dad a hard time." Dustin nodded, giving Carmelo a mock salute before pressing a kiss to Noah's cheek, taking the first step to leave before Noah followed, the two leaving the king alone in his office.

Dustin had already packed. It was how they were. Their suitcase and backpack laid near the doors to the balcony, where they'd stood for not even a moment before they'd practically tackled the prince before rushing to beg the king to bring Noah along. Noah hadn't begun packing yet. Truthfully, as much as Dustin was good at talking and getting their way, they didn't think they'd win his father over. Carne was dangerous, extremely so, even to someone who had been there quite a few times, and the king, though not stubborn, certainly stood at least a little more than firmly in his ways, especially if he knew he was right, or close to it. Noah pressed a kiss to Dustin's cheek, then their lips, yelping in surprise as Dustin laced to their arms around his hips and lifted him, catlike ears turning as he laughed, wrapping his legs around Dustin's waist. They twirled around, pressing another kiss to Noah's jaw before they laid him on the bed, kissing his lips again. Noah grinned, fingers combing through Dustin's long, dark hair. "C'mon, I gotta pack." They purred and nuzzled his neck, "I know, I know. I'm just," They chuckled giddily. "Oh, I didn't think it'd work." Noah ran his fingers through their hair again before pushing them up, sitting himself up, too. "He's warming up to you, Dustin. Big time." He smiled proudly. Dustin wasn't leaving, and while he'd keep them around even if Carmelo disliked them, of course, it made things much easier on him if his father liked the person he loved. He pushed them back further and stood. His hand brushing against theirs.

"Help me pack. How long are we gonna be there?" Dustin shrugged, heading for Noah's closet to grab his suitcase. "It depends on how easy this is, but at least a week. It, uh... I have a hotel picked out, we have a room reserved for the week, starting the day after tomorrow. We'll check in early, though, depending on when we're there." Noah nodded. "If it takes longer?" Dustin shrugged. "We extend our stay. Unless your dad tells me to send you home. Then I'll take you to the airport." Noah nodded, handing a stack of folded clothes to Dustin, which just ended up being unfolded and then re-folded to their liking. It wasn't like Noah had folded them himself, but it still gave him that odd feeling of having wasted work. He shook his head, laying his laptop on the bed for Dustin to add in at some point. He paused for a moment to think, then spoke. "Let me go grab bath stuff real fast-"  
"No, we'll get it on the way downstairs." Noah smirked playfully. "Oh, so you'll be using the stairs for once?" Dustin scoffed. "Fuck off. I'm not climbing down that wall with a suitcase." They stuffed the laptop under the clothes, looking around while they internally checked things off on his packing list. Noah watched them as he pulled a slightly off-white cloak from the closet, one that had seen so much while draped over his shoulders. He draped it over the back of the chair in front of the workbench, stashing a few things into his backpack before looking to the sleeping Verna on the workbench surface and sighing. He didn't want to take her, but he felt so bad about leaving her. In the end, the kitchen staff fed her enough that she'd be in good hands, and he elected that she'd stay. A catlike creature, xolati were quite smart and covered in soft, fluffy fur. He'd had Verna for years now, and she was honestly his best friend, aside from Dustin. He leaned in and stroked her back gently, then pressed a kiss to the top of her head before returning to the packing, lowering a bundled mess of chargers into his bag before tossing a pair of boots toward the bed. Unintentionally, it startled Dustin a little, who shot him something of a glare. He only chuckled as they picked them up anyway, laying them on top of the clothes. They looked everything over before they closed it, only zipping it halfway before holding it toward Noah, halfway across the room. He looked over at them, then back at his bag, stuffing a few more things in and slinging it over his shoulder. He stroked Verna's orange fur once more before finally approaching Dustin and taking the suitcase and heading towards the door, Dustin following.

The two trotted down the staircase, stopping at the bottom, as promised, to gather the little necessities before their final stop in the castle's hospital wing. As they waited for the pharmacist to puzzle out just what the two would need, Tokyo wrapped a strong arm around Noah. "Hey, I'll miss you, midget." She chuckled, her voice seeming to resonate within him pleasantly. Dustin decided not to point out how short she looked next to him, even as almost an alpha-type, standing at six feet tall- Pretty good for a female, but Noah took the "impressive" title, holding seven inches over her. Their father still took the cake and held it high above their heads, standing a full foot over Tokyo. Of course, he was the same, an alpha-type, and male, at that. She looked over at Dustin next. "And you, keep him safe. He gets hurt, you'll have to worry about dad and me." They scoffed. "I know, I know. Nothing's gonna happen, you all worry too much." Noah nodded. "Yeah, and I'm an adult, anyway. I can take care of myself if Dustin's not there." They smiled. "Yeah, exactly, but that's not gonna happen. I'm taking you with me to get some quality time in with you." He chuckled, his eyes lighting up, though his expression trying to remain relaxed. She scoffed. "If you spent any more time together, I'd question that you didn't exist aside from being around Noah." At this, Dustin huffed and turned away to take the bottles of medication for both of them. "You're just mad your scary little devil friend won't take you places."  
"I am not! Neseis and I... Came to an agreement. We won't intrude on each other's work." Dustin smirked. They both knew she couldn't find something smart to counter that one with, so they'd take their victory while they could. "Well, we're off, Toot. We'll see you later." She waved them off, letting go of Noah awkwardly. "Yeah, whatever. Just call me when you get there." Dustin snickered, lacing their fingers with Noah's and turning to leave. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, mom." She rolled her eyes and shot them an odd sort of look, turning to head down the hall as the two finally left the castle.

Noah felt like he was in a daze when he woke up. For once, he wasn't waking up to an alarm for medication. Dustin had, in fact, woken him up. He blinked hazily, sitting up and groaning before finally getting out of bed, greeted by his back and joints cracking and a set of clothes shoved into his chest. Dustin was already mostly dressed, pulling on a shirt and tying a jacket around their waist before leaning over the vanity parked near the bathroom door to comb whatever goo went into their hair and obsess over their eyeliner for ten minutes while Noah sluggishly changed into the clothes he'd been given before shuffling into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, taking all of five minutes before Dustin decided that their eyeliner looked nice enough under their shades and instead assaulted his hair, pulling and running their fingers through tangled curls, despite his protests. Once finished, he shot them a glare in the mirror, which they responded to with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. Now only feigning his annoyance, he informed them of the makeup which had smudged onto his cheek, which they rushed to fix in front of the vanity. He wiped it away, chuckling and heading downstairs into the darkened living room. The light on the stove remained on. It was the only true source of light, with the sun not even considering rising yet. Honestly, he hated getting up so early. It was one thing to get up at four in the morning to puke your guts out because you were sick, it was another to actively get up and do things so early in the morning. He didn't know how Dustin did it, but they did, all the times they went somewhere they couldn't drive to, and even when they DID drive, half the time. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his ear giving a twitch as his finger brushed against it. He crossed the room to grab the jug of already made coffee from the fridge, then some syrup and creamer. He'd heard that humans drank milk in their coffee, both hot and cold, but he'd never tried it himself. Why would someone drink the milk of another animal? He was sure it was at least palatable if so many did it, but he didn't really know where you'd get milk in Regalia to try it with, and it made most monsters sick to drink milk of any kind after they'd stopped nursing. He thought about it for a moment, stirring the coffee in his cup before adding more syrup, then almond milk to it. Dustin finally came downstairs after a moment, carrying both backpacks and setting them on the table before approaching Noah by the fridge, soon nudging him out of the way to finish making the coffee, adding ice last before sealing both cups and handing one over before taking a couple of plastic bottles and filling them with water before stuffing one into each bag. Noah stood, rather dumbly, sipping the coffee through a straw and attempting to figure out just what he could do to help get ready. Dustin just seemed to have it all taken care of. Before he could really even think, Dustin thrust a pack of graham crackers into the crook of his arm, with both hands clasping the cup as if it were a lifeline. "Eat these. We'll eat a real meal when we're at the airport." Noah nodded, opening the pack after setting the cup down and slipping one into his mouth, stuffing the rest into a jacket pocket, and finally shuffling toward the table to pick up his bag. Dustin already seemed to be heading toward the door, grabbing his coffee and taking his suitcase from them as they closed and locked the door behind the two of them. Looking up at the sky, it was still a deep, azure blue, though the stars had extinguished themselves in preparation for the soon-to-be rising sun.

It was too early for this shit.

The two caught the trolley near the house again, riding until they were back near the castle, then heading underground to the train station, Noah sipping coffee and eating crackers the whole way. While they could have just driven from the edge of the city to the airport, it was more trouble than it was worth to deal with driving there and parking, rather than taking a train straight there. They'd probably take at least the trolley, if not a train, anyway, to get to the car, so in the end... This was probably just the simplest option. The two headed down the stairs and paid for their passes before boarding, laying their things by their feet and waiting for a few moments before the doors closed and the train began moving. Noah curled up to Dustin's side and fell asleep in no time at all, Dustin holding onto his cup so it wouldn't spill, while Dustin simply slid on a pair of headphones and watched a movie to pass the time, occasionally ruffling the prince's hair, his ears twitching now and again as he slept, surprisingly peacefully for being on the train. Dustin smiled slightly. They never got tired of looking at him. Even now he was perfect to them, and he'd probably always be that way.

The ride lasted for probably an hour and a half, the lights, dimmed and colored to match the pre-dawn glow outside, rising to a brighter, warmer hue as the train came to a stop and the doors swished open. Dustin pocketed their phone, nudging Noah to wake up. He yawned and squirmed in his seat before stretching and producing the pack of graham crackers from his pockets to eat one before picking up his things and following Dustin out, looking around at the somewhat dark, thought pristinely clean station. Dustin held his hand in theirs as they climbed the stairs. The transition between the dark tunnels and the dim station to the bright airport was rather jarring, to someone who scarcely was fully awake until probably another hour or two from now, or whenever Noah took his first medications. Usually around six, but he usually slept for another hour or so until he was made to get up and get food to take the rest of his medication, usually by an orderly. The sky outside was now a brighter shade of blue, the sun just barely starting to rise, evident by the little sliver of white and orange dusting the bottom of the horizon. Noah leaned against Dustin again, sucking coffee down as if his life depended on it. It was way too early, he was way too tired, and god, he sounded spoiled, didn't he? Whatever. Maybe he was spoiled. But all the sleep he got was good for him, and not a lot more than he needed when one considered that he stayed up, oftentimes very late, to work on his machines. Last night was an exception, but then again, so was this early morning. As his watch buzzed against his wrist, he looked down at it sleepily before deactivating the alarm and pulling a bottle of pills out of his bag, taking one quickly and putting the rest away. As he finally took Dustin's hand again, he squeezed it and sighed. Dustin returned the gesture, looking to their phone to help the right terminal. It wasn't far- They had a solid half an hour to grab something to eat and hopefully wake up some more. Dustin had no problem with letting Noah sleep, but they did still want his company during the several-hours journey. As they came upon the proper terminal, swathed in dark blue paint to contrast the white walls in the hall, Dustin made a mental note, then nudged Noah. "Hey, this is where we'll get on. Let's find food before we have to go." Noah nodded eagerly, his ears perking up at Dustin's words. "That sounds great, I'm starving." They nodded. "Yeah, me, too." They looked to the signs on the small shops behind them before picking out a cafe a short walk down the hall. There were plenty here, of course, but this happened to be closest to where they needed to be. The two stepped inside, standing near the doorway and examining the menu, murmuring back and forth about what sounded good before finally stepping up to the counter and both ordering and paying before they sat at a table, a bit crowded by their luggage. The barista brought their food to them in a few minutes, the two thanking them and starting on their food quickly. There was little conversation, Noah's attention centered on eating to finally take the rest of his medications, while Dustin pushed their shades into their bangs in the dim light, looking between the terminal and their phone. It looked like there were very few people taking the same flight, less than ten, and most of them human. Actually, they were all human. Most monsters agreed that it took a fool to go to Carne since... Well, most thought of the south first. Even being in the north, in Estal, many felt rather on edge, being so close to a place like that. Dustin probably was a fool, but that probably didn't matter, since they still had enough sense to make it out alive. They ate a few more bites of their food, washing it down with some of the coffee they'd neglected for most of the morning before turning off their phone and finishing their food, stacking the two plates on top of each other and taking them to the counter, leaving momentarily to wash their hands before returning and slinging their backpack over their shoulder. Noah watched them for a moment before finally standing, grabbing the two suitcases and putting on his backpack while the two crossed the hall. Dustin looking back to be sure they left nothing behind, even if they still had a good twenty minutes to make sure that everything was in order. Before they'd boarded, they returned to the cafe to grab something for later. Even if he'd sleep for most of the trip, Noah still had to eat to take his medication at some point. It would be a long trip, and though they'd wished they had another way there... It was this or potentially a few weeks on a boat.

The plane ride was rather uneventful, anyway. Noah spent most of it sleeping nestled into Dustin's side, and Dustin spending it watching movies with a couple of naps in between and the occasional doodling on paper that had been folded up and forgotten in their jacket until boredom had unearthed them once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noah and Dustin arrive in Carne and check into their hotel. They visit a restaurant for an attempt at a date, though are interrupted by a waitress who had recognized the two of them. Upon returning to the hotel, though, they receive an unexpected visitor, who takes Noah for a walk.

Ten hours later, Noah finally opened his eyes groggily, having only awoken once to take his medication and another time to choke on his own spit, which surprised Dustin before they responded by calling him an animal and patting his back until he stopped. The two stretched and yawned, Dustin carefully rubbing their eyes under their shades before they disembarked, shuffling down the cramped aisle and stepping into the hall. Dustin stretched again until their back popped, sighing in relief, then sucking in another breath. The air had a plain smell, very much like every other airport, yet still had the scent of many, many people clinging to everything around them. Perhaps the human staff didn't clean as thoroughly, unable to sense that nearly as well as their inhuman counterparts. It wasn't a shocking thing, but interesting. It really did help to solidify the sense that they weren't in Regalia any more. The light filtering through the windows was still bright as if it was just the middle of the day.

Dustin pulled out their phone and dialed Carmelo's number, waiting for a moment to start speaking. Noah led the way to the baggage claim, holding their hand the whole time as they talked, checking in, as promised. Judging by Dustin's words, he was a bit displeased that they hadn't said anything before leaving, though he let it go, Dustin soon hanging up and taking the lead. Noah remained silent for a moment before speaking, finally, "So... What'd dad have to say?" Dustin shrugged. "Not much. He said we should have checked in before we left, but he was just happy that we checked in now." He nodded. "I should have thought of it, I'd have told you to call him." Dustin shrugged, pulling him in closer and pecking his cheek. "Yeah, but you were pretty dead this morning, so I didn't expect much." They chuckled. He scoffed. "I... Okay, yeah. Brain machine broke, but I'm okay now." The two stopped in front of the carousel, waiting to retrieve their things. He nudged their arm. "Hey, call Mom." Dustin looked at him for a moment before dialing their mother and handing the phone to Noah while they picked up the two suitcases. It fazed them at some point to hear Noah call Iris mom. Now... Well, she might as well have been his mother, since he barely knew the queen. They talked for a few moments before Noah prodded Dustin with the phone. They took it, taking his band as they left the building, heading down the walkway and stepping onto another train, setting their things in front of them, Noah rolling his eyes internally. He'd been sleeping and sitting all day, he was ready to at least walk more than this. Pans clattered in the background as Iris and Dustin spoke. "Uh, hey Mom. We're in Carne now, like Noah said." Iris hummed on the other end. "I know. Are you human?" Dustin bit their lip. "I... No. Not yet-" Iris came back sharply, "You need to be. You know who you are to them, and they do, too." Dustin flinched. "I know, I know. Most common people don't know me, but... Look, I'm gonna do it when we're at the hotel."   
"Why?" She was pissed. "So I can pass the fuck out afterward, that shit's exhausting, ma." Truthfully, they didn't want to blend in. Well... They didn't mind blending in, but they just wanted to look like themself while they were with Noah. Iris sighed. Dustin knew that she was probably pinching the bridge of her nose at that, even if they couldn't see her. "Look, just... Don't die. Don't get yourself killed." They nodded, not that she saw, picking at the end of their hair. "Jeez, ma... I'll be alright. You know I'll be careful."  
"So was Imniliam, with Alo. Look, I... I'll light candles and leave an offering for your protection." Dustin sighed, rubbing their arm. "Whatever makes you feel better, mom. I know this place is dangerous, so whatever you do for us, I know that we can use the extra help." Iris was silent for a moment. She could only feel that it was a death sentence for the two. "I love you, Dustin. Be safe. Text me when you go to bed." Dustin nodded. "I love you, too, mom. I will, and I'll text you when we get to the hotel, too." They waited for a moment before she hung up, looking through the window as they left the station. Once she was gone, Dustin sighed and dragged a hand over their face. There went their makeup, probably, but the fear coming from both Carmelo and Iris was starting to eat at them. What if something did happen? "You know she's just worried about us, Dustin." They shook their head. "Yeah, but I still feel bad. She just... She sounds like she already knows we'll die." He pressed a kiss to their cheek. "She doesn't know that. she's just worried. We'll both be fine, I promise." Dustin simply nodded, falling silent for what would be the rest of the ride on the train.

The two got off the train only a couple of blocks from the hotel, grateful for a chance to properly move. The hotel came into view quickly, perhaps one of the most prominent buildings in the area. A fountain situated itself in the entryway, cars parked all along the sides of the parking lot. Noah took it all in rather excitedly. He didn't know what he expected, but it wasn't something so grand. Dustin grinned upon seeing his delight. "You know I'd only pick the best for us, Noah." They pulled him in, pressing a kiss to his lips and grinning. "Come on, let's go check out our room." They let him go, taking his hand and pulling him eagerly toward the door to check in. The lobby was decorated beautifully in a modern style, everything a nice combination of black and white and blues and pinks. The front desk stood to the side of the lobby, a woman in a black uniform sitting behind the computer. Dustin strode over to the desk, Noah close behind them. Speaking rather softly in the quiet room, Dustin checked them in, the woman sliding keys over the counter. Dustin bowed their head in thanks and took them, handing one to Noah before they turned down the hall, stepping into the elevator and heading to the third floor, then to their room. Noah could barely contain his excitement, a grin plastered across his face as the elevator stopped, the doors sliding open. The hall was just as neat and well-decorated as the lobby, the lights shining brightly on everything under them. Stealing a glance at the envelope the keys had come in, Noah led this time, his hand never leaving theirs until they finally reached their room. He slid the card through the door, Dustin stepping out of the way of a passing guest before Noah pushed the door open and pulled his suitcase in behind himself, grinning eagerly as he stopped in front of the bed. The walls were a powder blue color, the bedding and drapes coming in gray and white and the other furniture, shimmering, silvery metals and black wood. Dustin left their suitcase against the wall, wrapping their arms around him and squeezing him in a tight hug. He twisted around to return the gesture, pressing a kiss to their lips. They giggled, holding on for a moment before breaking away, grinning and removing their shades. "You're awfully excited." He laughed, his cheeks flushed lightly. "I'm just... God, this is all just so nice. I didn't expect this, and... I'm just excited to leave Regalia for once, and go farther than Anedonia this time," He admitted, though sheepishly. Dustin pecked his lips gently, running their fingers through his soft, brown curls. "You know I'd only pick the best for you. Look, I'll take you on more jobs. After this, your dad's gonna see that we can be trusted to go to other places, and he'll trust us to go to other places. Until then..." They pressed yet another kiss to his lips. "I made reservations with a nice restaurant." His eyes brightened up again. "Really? What is it?" Dustin grinned. "It's just a local place, they do like, Carnician food, but it's just a really nice place. I've been there before, I go every time I'm in the area, you have to try it."  
"Well, how long do we have before we go?"   
Dustin paused for a moment. "Half an hour. It'll take us about fifteen minutes to get there from here, it's actually a short walk." He nodded, resting his forehead against theirs before he pulled away. "You should change now. I wanna see what you'll look like." They chuckled. "In a minute."  
"Do it now! I wanna see you." They scoffed. "Fine, I'll do it now." They finally pulled away, heading into the bathroom. "No, stay in here!" Noah protested, still eagerly. They disobeyed, smirking and looking back at him. "No, you have to wait. It's for dramatic tension." They snickered. "I'm commanding you to do it in here!" They stuck their tongue out, stepping into the doorway only to tease him more. "You'll have to reprimand me, because I'm disobeying your orders." They quickly shut the door as Noah attempted to give chase. "I will! I'm going to reprimand you so hard! Just let me see, I've never seen someone do this before!" He tried the knob, only to groan in childish frustration at the discovery that it was locked. "Wait a minute, damnit! I gotta make sure my hair is alright first, and take off my foundation."  
"You already did it?!" He huffed. "This is unfair! This is classism!" Dustin chuckled behind the door. "Noah, classism is against the poor!"  
"I don't care! I'm tellin' dad if you don't come out!"  
"Just wait a minute! I'm putting my eyeliner back on now, calm your ass down!"   
He groaned. "Fine! Just come right out when you're done!" This time, they didn't respond, focusing on the task at hand before they sighed, shuffling around a bit before finally unlocking the door. Noah jumped up eagerly, grinning and stepping back as the lights inside finally flicked on and the door swung open.

The first thing he noticed was their scent. It was them, but... Different. It was like the piece of their scent that distinguished them as their own species had been wiped away completely, replaced with that which just screamed 'human' in a way he couldn't describe, if one would ask him to do so. Then, their skin. They weren't gray anymore. Instead, they were dark. Darker than he was, with freckles dotting their cheeks like a hundred stars would dot the night sky. Their hand carded through their hair, pulling his attention along with it. Their claws were gone, in their place, dull, rounded nails trimmed carefully. Their hair, silky and dark normally, was soft and curled and must have doubled, maybe even tripled in volume. Their eyes, though, were still the dark blue that they always were. Some said that the eyes were akin to looking into the soul. Perhaps that was why they wouldn't change. People around here had all sorts of differently-colored eyes, anyway. It was something of a sign of inhuman heritage in humans, especially when the 'default' in Carne was brown, often bordering on black. Noah grinned excitedly, hands clasped over his chest. Dustin struck a pose rather humorously. "Well? How is it?" They turned, throwing their hair over their shoulder. "Would you do me? Because I would definitely do me." Noah laughed. "You know I would! No matter what, I would."  
"Good. We'd better get going now- Get there a little early and all." Noah nodded, though now wished that they'd stay there and do other things (namely, each other). "Yeah, yeah... Let me grab my bag and then we'll go. I- I'll have to take my medication while we're there." Dustin nodded, finally turning off the light, painfully bright without the shades they quickly put back on, and stood next to the door as Noah picked up his backpack and hurried to join them again. They wrapped an arm around him for the last time before they left the room. They just wanted to shower him with all of the affection they had, but here... that was just as risky as walking around looking like the Dustin known to be a criminal around here.

Walking at a leisurely pace, the two passed a couple of other guests, exchanging small smiles as they passed. In the elevator, they were joined by a man in a suit who said nothing, though eyed Noah's ears, a bit awkward, for Noah, before they left the elevator on the first floor, the man stopping at the front desk while the two left the building, heading out through the parking lot and down the street. When Noah thought about it, once you'd get over the definite fear factor of being in a country where mere mortals had needlessly killed one of his gods, it wasn't so bad. It was nice, even, the architecture of the city all seeming to harmonize beautifully. It was just a shame that this country seemed to have such terrible moral values. Were they more accepting, like Noah's own people, he'd consider it almost paradisical. However, it was not so, and the two couldn't even hold hands as they walked to the restaurant. The city here seemed very different from the city in Regalia. Everything around them was mainly commercial buildings, rather than that mix of homes and businesses that Regalia had. The people here were fond of their cars, too. At home, nobody drove a car, getting around on trolleys, bikes, buses, even using magic to get from point 'A' to point 'B'. If you had a car, in at least the city of Regalia, you kept it in a garage until you left the city, the only thing in that vein of transportation being emergency vehicles. That, and the underground trains... And motorcycles. Dustin turned a corner, Noah almost walking right past them before snapping back to attention and quickly correcting himself. Dustin snickered, taking another turn in a moment. "What, do I have to put you on a leash, now?" Noah scoffed. "Shut up. I'm just saying, that wouldn't happen if you'd hold my hand." They sighed. "Would if I could. We're trying to have a nice night, not attract a lynch mob." He huffed. They were right, but still.

The restaurant was only a little way down the next street, Dustin holding the door for Noah as they entered. The place was decorated beautifully, though, at the same time, everyone was dressed rather casually. Perhaps that was just how things were done around here. The two were quickly seated, a waitress coming along rather quickly, though stopping before she'd even said anything to stare curiously at Noah's ears for a moment, then speaking.

"Are... Are those real?" One flicked to the side, his expression rather confused as she grinned in delight. He nodded after a moment. "Uh... Yeah."  
"Oh! Can I touch them?" Noah shot an awkward glance toward Dustin before nodding slowly, unsure of how to go about saying no. He nodded slowly. "Yeah, just be gentle with them." She giggled happily, gently touching a finger to the back of his ear, twitching as she ran her finger over it, then again as she touched the tuft of soft fur sticking out of it, half-covered by his hair. She continued for a moment before stopping, giggling behind her hand and finally handing over the menus. "Can I start the two of you off with some drinks?" The two both nodded. "Just water." Dustin murmured. Noah nodded, falling silent- Something he often did around strangers, or in a situation awkward as this one. She nodded. "Let me get your drinks and give you a minute to look at the menu, sweetie." She handed one to each before leaving them. Dustin gave a short nod of thanks, though Noah knew they were immediately glaring daggers at her back. Noah sighed as she left, flipping open the menu and returning to their shared mother tongue. "Dustin, this is so weird." Dustin huffed, nearly hissed, "She's hitting on you."  
"I know! I- I didn't come off as hitting on her, did I? I was just being nice!" Dustin shook their head, pinching the bridge of their nose. "It's because you're a monster. People around here think it's hot or whatever." Noah sighed. "Look, she might be trying to come onto me, but I'm not gonna do the same. I'm here for you and Ajax, but he isn't here right now." He brushed his fingertips over their hand, but didn't let them linger for long, looking over the menu. "Uh, what's good here?" Dustin shrugged. "I like their sandwiches." Noah sighed. "Dustin, we can go if you want. You don't sound so excited to be here." They shook their head. "I don't like the waitress. I don't want someone else drooling over you." Noah folded his arms over the table. "Look, it'll be okay. We'll order and then once the food comes, we won't have to deal with her for most of the time we're here." Dustin just nodded, looking down at the menu, only for the waitress to return, handing over both glasses of water. "Here are your drinks, honey. Have the two of you decided yet?" The two ordered rather quickly, the waitress placing a gentle hand on Noah's shoulder as she offered a few recommendations to him, then leaving after giving them her name. Noah just smiled and nodded as she left. Dustin sighed, resting their chin on their hand. Noah gave them a reassuring smile, checking his phone and responding to a text from Ajax, then looking back to them as they shifted their gaze toward the window. It was clear that they were beyond annoyed.

"So... what's the job we're taking?" They shrugged. "Let's not talk about work while we're here. For right now, we're on vacation." Noah shrugged. "I thought we could maybe just talk a little about it since you haven't told me much." Shit, they hadn't. "Well... it's nothing big, like trying to assassinate someone or anything. It's just a- a simple thing. The client needs a few books from a library a few miles south, so we're going to get them and take them back to her." Noah nodded. "Are they special?"  
"No- Sort of. Not spellbooks or holy books or anything, it's family records and stuff. She's one of those people that does their whole family tree for fun." Noah hummed, "Oh, we have someone in the castle who does that. I think they're waiting for us to get married to add us to it as a couple." Dustin chuckled. "That'd be nice. I can't wait to see it happen." Truthfully, they had no idea when they'd marry. It was certain that they would, they just didn't know when would be right, and Iris was no authority on the matter. She'd never married, she didn't even speak to their father anymore. Noah smiled again, looking back at his phone as Ajax sent him another text. The two fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments before the waitress returned, handing them their food.

"Do you need anything? Either of you?" Both shook their heads. "No, thank you," Noah murmured. She nodded, holding the platter against her chest. "I have a question for you, actually." Noah looked to her again. "Are you from Regalia?" Noah nodded, Dustin tensing a bit, a part of them afraid that that might turn into something. "Uh... Y- Yeah, actually. How did you know?" She rubbed her arm. "I went on vacation there a few months ago, and, uh... I heard you speaking the language. By the way, uh..." She leaned in. "Are you... The prince?" Noah nodded, once again, hesitantly. Dustin clasped their hands in front of their face, restraining themself from asking her to stop, yet at the same time, prepared to draw a weapon if things got ugly. She jumped in surprise. "Oh my god, really? I thought it was you, I visited the castle and I saw you there!" He smiled sheepishly. "Uh... A lot of people don't recognize us in plainclothes, it's kinda nice." She nodded eagerly. "I can imagine! You probably get so much attention when people know you're royalty! What are you doing here, by the way?" He looked at Dustin, then back at her. "Uh, my- My friend and I are taking a job as mercenaries here. I wanted to go somewhere new for once, you know?" She nodded. "Yeah, I totally get it! If you guys need a tour guide, I'll totally help! I get off at seven." She was eager to get closer. Dustin didn't like it. She was perky, yeah, and everyone wanted to get close to a prince, yeah, but it still just felt suspicious to them. Or, perhaps, they were just jealous. She seemed like she'd talk to him for days, if he let her. He nodded, "Thanks for the offer." Dustin nodded. "We couldn't ask you to do that, I'm sure you'll be tired by the time you get off." She shook her head. "It'll be fine! If you'd rather go tomorrow, I'll be off all day." Dustin nodded. "We'll work it out, then get back to you." She nodded, finally rising and leaving the table for the two to start on their meals.

They ate, perhaps quickly, Dustin wishing to just get back to the hotel and Noah wishing for them to calm down, but perhaps also to go to bed at this point. It was a good day- He didn't seize, or throw up, or really even ache or anything, but he was just unbelievably tired. It only felt worse that he knew he'd slept all day. The waitress returned once or twice to check in, refilling their drinks before delivering their check. Dustin handed over their debit card, watching her as she left them once more before handing them the receipt and visiting another table. Noah picked it up and looked it over awkwardly, her name circled at the bottom, her number written next to it with little hearts surrounding it. Dustin rolled their eyes behind their shades, Noah folding it up and pocketing it, unsure of what else he was supposed to do. Dustin rose, prompting him to do the same. "Do we leave a tip?" Noah whispered as they left. "Not here. They do it in the north, though." He nodded, following them out and toward the hotel. He sped up to match their pace, looking over at them. They seemed to have calmed down a little, their expression rather relaxed now. He took their hand for a moment, letting them stay quiet as they returned to the hotel. A few people glanced toward them as they walked in, the receptionist watching them pass before returning to her computer work. A man in the elevator watched the two, or perhaps just stared at the wall behind them until they got off, finally returning to the hotel room. As they shut the door, Dustin breathed a sigh of relief, taking off their shades and shirt and lying in bed, combing their fingers through their hair. Noah sighed, heading into the bathroom to take the last of his medication before approaching the bed, taking off his shoes and attempting a bit of humor. "Well, I see that there's only one bed." Gratefully, he returned to their native language, propping his hands on his hips. They chuckled, sucking their teeth. "It would appear so." He grinned, crawling onto the bed next to them. "What a coincidence." He pressed a kiss to their lips, laying a hand on their chest. They grinned, sitting up. "I've been waiting this whole time to do that again, you know." They kissed his jaw, wrapping their arms around his waist before using one to slide off his jacket to take his shirt off.

They didn't get far, though before there was a knock at the door, Noah brushing their hands away before getting up to answer it, pulling his jacket back over his shoulders. He first checked the peephole to see if it was someone they could hopefully ignore. It was not, though. Far from it. 

It was the police. 

He turned back to them with a worried look, signing, to avoid making a sound. 'It's the cops.' They pulled their shirt back on, standing against the wall next to the bed. The man in front pounded against the door again as Noah unlocked it, making sure to speak to them in Carnician. "Uh... yes?" The man flashed an ID badge, Noah's blood running cold and his ears pinning back in anxiety. "Sir, did you arrive with one Dustin Clarkson? He's been described as tall, muscular, gray skin, dark hair..." Dustin bit their lip, though stayed where they were. They wouldn't be recognized like this. It'd be fine. He nodded. "Yes, sir."  
"And what is your relation to him?"  
"Lovers, sir." Probably the wrong answer, when he could have said 'friends'. He made a face at hearing them referred to as 'him'. The two officers exchanged a certain kind of look that only made the rapidly-encroaching sense of anxiety worse. "Is he here now, sir?"  
"No," He lied. Not that they'd know. The officer nodded, producing a pair of handcuffs from his belt. "Well, you're coming with us, sir." Noah's expression intensified. Dustin's eyes widened as they pressed a hand over their mouth to avoid making a sound. "What? I haven't done anything!" Noah took a step back, only prompting the officer to take one forward. He secured the cuffs on his wrists. "Well, he has, and when he comes back, he'll know to pay us a visit to see you again. Until then..." The officer shrugged. "I can write you in as harboring a fugitive, and if that attitude sticks, I'll add in 'resisting arrest'." Noah could feel his heart pounding, his face growing incredibly hot. "But-" The officer cut him off. "Shut up, or assault on an officer goes in there, too. Come with us quietly, or we'll be using force." The officer jabbed at his chest. He looked back at the room, narrowing his eyes at Dustin's mortified face peering around the corner, thankfully out of sight of the officers as they took Noah down the hall, letting the door slam shut behind them. Ice-cold dread filled their chest. Fuck. How would they tell Carmelo they'd failed so early on? They knew they'd get him back, but knowing how was a different story. It seemed like a long day was just now unfolding into a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noah is taken into police custody. In attempts to catch them before they can take him too far, Dustin calls Carmelo to make an attempt at dealing with the situation, though this attempt falls flat as his interactions leave him with a stark reminder of the teratophobic ideologies in Carne.

Just as he was told to do, Noah went quietly, trying to come up with some way out, but only drawing a blank. He slapped himself mentally. He was the smartest mortal person he knew, yet he couldn't puzzle this one out. Upstairs, Dustin felt as if they had frozen in their place. Time stood still. Ice cold panic pierced their lungs, anxiety ripping their insides to pieces as they slid down the wall, a shaking hand pushing their hair out of their face and mopping up the sweat beading up on their forehead. They failed. They failed, and they hadn't even started, or even done anything noteworthy. They dreaded what came next. Carmelo had to know, yet at the same time, they were more than certain that if he could do so, he would reach through the phone and strangle them. They made a promise to him, one that they intended to keep, but they didn't know how. They jerked as their phone buzzed in their pocket, then did it again. Fuck. It was probably Tokyo or Carmelo, or someone else trying to check in. They collected themself for a moment before finally gathering the strength to see who it was.

It was Noah. He still had his phone, thank the gods.  
‘Dustin.’  
‘Listen, they're taking me to the police station.'  
'Still have my phone. They didn't take anything yet.'  
'I don't know what's happening, but they haven't touched me yet.'  
'Unrelatedly, I am bleeding from the nose. As usually happens.'  
'As you know.'  
'Anyway, when we stop, I'll send you my location to find me. I'll keep it on until they take my things.'  
'I don't know what's happening, but I think I'll be okay. Either way, I love you.'  
'I don't blame you for this.'  
His attempts at easing their anxiety were well-intentioned, but did little for them. What if those cops decided he'd be useless after all and just killed him? They tried to formulate a response, blinking through their tears. God, they were such an idiot. 'Noah, I love you. Please don't do anything to make them hurt you, I'll fix this'  
'I'm going to call Carmelo, we'll get you out and go home.'  
'This is all my fault. I should have listened to mom.'  
'I'm so sorry.' Truthfully, their apology felt like nothing but empty words. Sorry didn't free him, or protect him, and it didn't appease the people who wanted them dead so badly that they'd take him down, too. Noah spent a few moments typing before responding. 'It's okay. We'll get through this.'  
'I'm not afraid.'   
'I know you'll do what you told Dad. I trust you with my life and you know it.'  
'And if all else fails, Aysus is on my side.' Even if he had a god's magic up his sleeve, and even the ability to summon that god, Dustin still felt that a point, outnumbered was outnumbered, especially when your magic wasn't exactly known for its offensive ability. 'Go ahead and call dad. I'll post my location when I stop moving.' They sighed through tears. They were dreading that more than anything, but this, they couldn't do alone. Noah said nothing, though, as if to urge them to get it over with.

They sniffed and wiped away tears, finally calling Carmelo. He answered immediately, half expecting something to be wrong, with the somewhat odd timing. "Yes, Dustin?" He asked expectantly. They took a few raspy breaths and coughed. "Carmelo, I—"   
"What happened?" He demanded. Dustin rarely cried, at least that the people around them would see. "They took Noah, Carmelo! They caught us together and then— The police came to the hotel and took him, they want to use him as bait to get me to turn myself in. I- I'm going to get him, I promise—" Carmelo interrupted them, "No, you are not. They don't play by any rules, Dustin. They'll take you and then keep him anyway. Listen to me. I will handle this. Stay out of trouble. Contact the mercenary's association and the guilds of the area. Get as many people as you can keeping an eye on every place they might take him. I'm going to contact the national council very soon and discuss this with them. Do not raise any attention to yourself or start anything unless I say otherwise." Dustin took a shaky breath. "Yes, sir." Carmelo sighed. "Breathe. We're going to take care of it. Everything will be fine."  
"I- I know. Thanks, Carmelo."  
"Take care of yourself. Clear your head, calm yourself down. It will be okay. I'm going to go now. I have to call those goblins. Do you want me to forward you to someone else? Tokyo? Matthew? Nurigi?"  
"N- No, it's fine. Thank you, Carmelo." They wiped their face with their hand as Carmelo hung up.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a moment to prepare himself, straightening his clothes and cleaning his glasses before picking up a projection computer and a headset, heading to his office from the bedroom he shared with the queen. Comfortable as he was, he needed to be as formal as possible— Especially with their rather unfriendly relationship with Carne. He laid the tiny computer on his desk and turned it on, taking another moment to prepare himself for the impending headache before straightening, finally calling the head of state's office. A secretary answered in a few seconds, speaking the local language. "You've reached the Carnician Leadership Hold, may I ask who this is?"  
"This is the Regalian head of state. I wish to speak with a head of state urgently, if I may." The secretary nodded, turning to the computer on the desk and typing for a moment. "Yes, that will be fine. I will transfer you to leader Esyou Riko."  
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you for your help." The two exchanged a salute before the man's face appeared onscreen, against a backdrop of large windows, everything tinted a lovely orange hue in the sunset. Carmelo would have commented, were he not focused on the task at hand. Esyou Riko's hands were folded in front of him as he sat a short ways away at a conference table, clearly empty, save for him. His dark hair fell rather naturally around his face. He wore dark colors, his clothes neat, though rather plain, much like the room around him. Carmelo's eyes darted around the picture, taking it all in little by little. Esyou Riko was rather smug, as if Carmelo had already said something laughable. Nonetheless, Carmelo saluted him, not even receiving the same respect. "Spare me the pleasantries, sir. What might this unexpected call be about?" Carmelo had half a feeling that he already knew. "My son has been arrested in your territory. He is no criminal. He has done no wrong, and I request that you release him as quickly as possible." The man smirked. "Might I ask where he was caught?"  
"District one. Your district, if I recall."  
"Yes, that is correct." He looked to a screen off to the side, typing for a moment. "His name?"  
"Noah. Noah Hionex." He watched the other man as he continued typing. "Well, currently, I have no records of such a thing, so he must still be in transport."  
"I know that he is not yet at one set location, but when he is found at a location of yours, I request that you release him at once."  
"Sir, that will not be possible." Carmelo felt like that ripped his heart out. "Er… Excuse me? Why not?" He stood up straighter, if that was possible. The receptionist from before brought in a tea set, pouring him a cup of tea. "Yes, thank you, darling." He took a sip, then added a spoon of sugar. "Well, sir, your son committed a crime on our soil, so if he was arrested, I do believe that that would be his fault." He took another sip of the tea. "Surely, you must understand."  
"You are imprisoning my son— A foreign dignitary— Falsely, to catch a criminal."  
"Temper, temper. Those are the rules, my dear. If you do not like it, I truly do not care." Carmelo grasped at the fabric of his tunic, keeping his hands low and out of sight. "If you must imprison my son, then ensure that he receives the proper medical care— He needs medication, and that is all that I request." Esyou Riko chuckled. "Sir, he will receive the medical care that we provide to all of our prisoners. He is not special here."  
"He is a foreign dignitary, sir."  
"And I don't care, sir. If you did not recall, we do not take to your kinds of people so kindly around here, and you're lucky that he will be imprisoned, rather than killed." Carmelo gritted his teeth, his words feeling like a shot through the chest. The other man took another sip of tea. "Now that I have answered your questions, must you waste any more of my time?" Carmelo clawed at his tunic only more, gathering more fabric in his clenched fists to avoid lashing out. "That will be all for now. We will be discussing this at a later time, more personally." The human laughed harshly, "We won't. It's been a thrill, but goodbye, now. I've got more urgent matters to attend to." He ended the call, the screen shutting itself off. Carmelo growled in frustration, swiping an arm across the desk and throwing everything to the floor. Fingers shaking as he clenched his fists, he hissed as he felt blood trickling from his nostrils and dripping onto the desk. His heart pounded in his ears. No, this wasn't right— This wasn't fair! They were asking for a war, thinking they could overtly treat them like that, both Noah and the king, and all of the countless people who had been lost over the tears, even before Carmelo had been born. They'd been holding their tongues for years, trying to solve things diplomatically, but this was it. They were begging for a war, and they'd get it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dustin gets a call from someone they had never expected to run into here, telling them that Noah has been located. They pay a visit to this friend to see him, and stumble upon a couple of others that they hadn't expected to see in a place like this.

Three days. That was how long they waited. Three agonizing days of checking in with every clan, with the association, Carmelo, whatever Dustin could fine. Then, Dustin got a call. Pacing the floor, the phone ringing startled them. They rushed to answer it, fumbling with shaky hands before answering. "H- Hello?"  
"Dustin, it's Hercilia. You're still looking for Noah, right?" They tensed, their voice filling with anxiety and excitement. "Yeah! Why?" She sucked her teeth. "Well... I found him. The clan bought out a prison to, uh... consider it a covert safehouse, but it's still a prison. I'll, uh... Explain later. We're trying to make it good, like the Regalian prisons, but, uh... Place like this, it's a process." They took a sharp breath, "Give me the address, oh my god- I'll get dressed, I will drive there if it takes me all day." She took a moment, then sent it in a text. "I don't know how far you are, but I sent you the address. He's been here... God, I think he got here yesterday? I just got to his paperwork and talked to him today- You'd better bring his meds, Dustin. He's not looking so hot. The nurse here can't do a whole lot for him, he's basically living on fever reducer and the strongest ibuprofen we can legally give him, but he's still hurting pretty bad." Dustin just nodded along as she spoke, barely listening as they dressed themself and grabbed their things, rushing downstairs and outside, to the car they'd rented- If nothing else, to just drive and clear their head. It wasn't often that they got to drive, since cars weren't used inside of the Regalian city. "Hercilia, thank you so much, I- I have to go, though, I have to get in touch with the king and I'm getting in the car. I will fill you in on everything happening with us when I get there, and you fill me in on you there."  
"Got it- But one more thing before you go, what's your clothing size?"  
"Uh, I'll text it to you. Why?"  
"You're a guard now. You need to be around him. He's doing bad, he'll be so much better off with you here, and... It'll be good for the king to know how his son is doing."  
"Oh, uh... Thanks, I didn't even think about it."  
"Yeah, no problem. I'm gonna go now, I'll let you get in contact with the king, and I'll meet you outside so you can change." They responded only with silence, starting the car as she hung up.

Three hours from the hotel, Dustin spent a solid two hours of it talking to Carmelo- Royally pissed, but rightfully so. The last hour was spent driving as fast as legally possible to the prison, in silence. They sent Hercilia a text a few minutes before they pulled in, heading to the side of the building and meeting her there. She wore a pantsuit, dark brown hair pulled back neatly into a ponytail. She held a folded uniform, also neatly, watching them as they approached eagerly with their bag. "I'm here, finally. I talked to the king the whole way here, and-"  
"Don't tell me yet! We need to go to my office." She held the uniform out to them, though they didn't take it quite yet, setting their bag next to their feet and grabbing the hem of their shirt to pull it over their head. She slapped their arm to stop them. "What the hell are you doing?" She hissed, "Don't you have any modesty?" Dustin shrugged, "No, not really." She blinked in surprise, then huffed. "Look, your body is nice and all, and I'm loving the new form, but wait until we're in my office." They picked up their bag again. "Ma'am, I'm a whore. Being naked does not scare me." She sighed, "Yes, Dustin, I know. Just don't let the prisoners hear that." They snickered, following her inside through the kitchen. Dustin could identify a few species- A Letonian, a hunter- One of their species... A vampire, and something fuzzy and unknown. They couldn't figure out the tall one, either. He looked human, though... Taller than them, easily seven feet tall, having to duck through a doorway, even. He had an ethereal aura, though at the same time felt dark and wicked. Dustin was curious and perhaps unsettled- Something about it just seemed to grate on their nerves. Perhaps fear was the appropriate reaction, though. They left him alone, though, following Hercilia down the hall and around the corner to her office, shutting the door behind them.

"Okay, now you can get naked." She dropped the uniform on the desk, sitting in her chair. The office was decorated in bits and pieces of the guild, a tapestry on the wall by the door with the familiar moon-and-stars emblem, pictures everywhere, and a small statuette surrounded by more photos on the opposite side of the desk. Dustin spent a moment taking it in before putting their bag down on a chair and taking off their shirt, folding it, and setting it into their bag before taking out the uniform shirt and looking it over before putting it on. She watched them until they spoke again. "You look good, Hercilia. It looks like you've made yourself pretty at home here." She nodded, "Y'know, Noah said the exact same thing to me. But, anyway, yeah, been pretty busy here. It's an experience, alright, but I think I'm doing pretty good for this being the first prison here we've had." She opened a drawer and took out a piece of candy, unwrapping it and popping it into her mouth. "So... you gonna tell me what happened with the king?" They smirked, giving a slight sigh as they removed their shoes to change their pants. "The tea is hot, Hercilia." She raised an eyebrow, starting a coffee maker and eating another piece of candy. "Is it, now?" They sat down, moving their bag to the floor, "Oh, yes. So, Carmelo got into contact with Esyou Riko, like, the night they took Noah. Within twenty minutes of it. He asked nicely if he could let him go, since he didn't do anything, and he was a total jackass." Hercilia's eyes widened as she poured the two of them coffee, offering Dustin sugar and creamer. They took both, humming a confirmation, to her disbelief. "He did. He said no- You could do that nicely, of course, but he treated Carmelo like a joke, he said Noah had to have committed a crime, even if he didn't even know what he did, he told Carmelo that he didn't care, and he straight up said that we were lucky that they were only imprisoning him, instead of killing him!" Hercilia's eyes widened even more as she held a hand over her mouth, nearly choking on her coffee. "He didn't- How did Carm- Er, the king, take it?" Dustin leaned in, their expression between joy at the chance to share the gossip, and fear. She made sure to swallow her coffee this time. "He's going to war, Hercilia." She gasped, her hand covering her mouth again. "No... You're serious?" They nodded, taking a swig of their coffee. "Entirely. I was... Oh my god, I was in shock, he told me this morning. I didn't know anything could make him snap like that! I... I really didn't think he'd go that far for Noah." She took another sip of her coffee. "Of course he would. That's his son." Dustin sighed. "Yeah, but... They're not close. At least, not like me and my ma." She shrugged. "Most families aren't that close. I mean, you discuss your sex lives and everything, most families are barely even close enough to vent to each other, or have a discussion about mental health or anything." They chuckled. "Well, we don't discuss it in detail, but yeah, I guess you're right." They smiled sheepishly. "But anyway..." They sighed, taking in more of their coffee. "I feel so guilty." Hercilia cocked her head, offering them a piece of candy, which they refused, staring down at their cup. "Well... Why? It's not your fault."  
"But it is- I got cocky, and I let them see me with Noah. They took him to get to me, and now Carmelo is starting an entire war because I was irresponsible." She bit her lip, then rested a hand over their free hand, prompting them to look up again. "Dustin, I... I'm sorry. That's... that's some heavy stuff, and I mean... I know I can't really work him out if it, but the guild is on your side. Yours and Regalia's. I mean, this is the straw that broke the camel's back, Dustin. If it wasn't this, it'd be something at a later time. Enough is enough, and honestly, we really are lucky that we have someone like you with a hand in the whole thing, and we're lucky that they didn't have some plan to kill Noah, because the final straw that would come at another time probably would be somebody's death." They stared for a moment, then nodded. "I... Hercilia, thank you. I think I needed to hear that. I've been feeling really bad... Really guilty about it, but I've been trying to keep myself going. Noah needs me." They finished their coffee and stood.   
Hercilia leaned over the desk to hug them and they leaned in to return the embrace. "We all need you. Keep your head up." She pulled away. "The worst of it has yet to come, and the best will follow." She took their coffee cup. "But go on, now. Noah needs you." She smiled a little. They smiled again, too, picking up their bag and turning toward the door. They turned the handle, but didn't make it out before she stopped them once more. "Oh, Dustin. One more thing," They turned their head, "Yeah?"  
"I want to put you in the guild hall. It's nearby- I know I said this is kind of a base of operations, but, like... That over there is just kind of our own space, not something we bought out. Anyway, uh... Y'know, so you're closer to him." They nodded. "Thanks, Hercilia. I'll have to get my stuff before the day ends."  
"No, don't worry about it. Leave me your room key and I'll have someone go and get your things." They raised an eyebrow. "Really? I mean... If you insist, but it's kind of far of a drive." They produced the card from the pocket of their backpack and handed it over. "Look, these people are paid to do what I say in here. One of 'em will even get a little overtime for it, and all they have to do is drive there and back." Dustin shrugged. "I guess that's fair. I, uh... I'll get going, then. If whoever it happens to be wants, I'll pay for their dinner or something." She waved them off. "Don't worry about it. I'll come and get you when it's time to go." They nodded, issuing another small 'thanks' before hurrying away to find Noah.

It took a little bit of looking and asking both guards and inmates where to go, but it wasn't long before they could trace his scent to one of the dorms, entering eagerly and calling his name. Fabric shuffled in the far corner, bringing them a few steps closer as another familiar voice urged the prince to lie back down. "Over here!" The other called, standing, so that Dustin was met with the sight of a set of horns and a mane of shaggy pink hair. Dustin hurried over to them. "Gam! Wait, what are you doing here?" He shrugged, a couple of fingers scratching at the deep red scales on his jaw. "It sounds stupid, but... Well, I was pretending to be a prisoner, to help Hercilia scope out the conditions, and like, how the prisoners get treated an' all, and get opinions on what things're like, and... They caught me. They noticed I didn't have one of these babies," He held up a wrist, bearing a metallic band, a small keyhole on one side. It was a magic blocker, much like the ones they'd seen in a Regalian prison, to keep the inmates from breaking out using magic. "And, well, they got mad, so Hercilia had to put one on me. They know if it unlocks, it stops receiving a signal, it stops detecting a pulse or heat, an' they'd probably freak if an inmate isn't being released when it happens." He huffed. "So, I can't leave. Goddamnit, they thought of everything." Dustin nodded, putting their bag down and sitting on the bed next to Noah, hugging him tightly and pressing a kiss to his lips. He wrapped his arms, shaking, around them, as tightly as he could manage. Once they pulled away, he smiled up at them. "You look good in that uniform, Dustin." They chuckled dryly, "I can't say the same for you. You look—"  
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Terrible. I gotta say, prison orange isn't my color, and I probably look... As bad as I feel, I'd say, without my meds." To be truthful, he really did look awful. He was pale, though his cheeks were flushed. There were dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept at all in those three days, and sweat dampened the curls around his face. "Such a lovely couple," Gamri snorted. Noah smiled sheepishly, wincing and taking an unsteady breath as he pushed himself to sat up, Dustin helping him with an arm placed gingerly on his back, as if he'd break at their slightest touch. "I can admit when I've had better days, Gam, and right now? Not my lowest, but pretty damn close." He smiled, this time as if more sure of himself. Dustin seemed worried by his pain. "Did they hurt you?" He shook his head. "No," He hissed in pain, a knee popping rather loudly as he shifted closer, "I'm hurting without my meds, that's all." He rested his head against Dustin's. "The cops treated me pretty well, aside from being kind of rude to me. But I expected that. I don't think I quite expected them to kill me, but I didn't expect them not to hurt me." He shrugged, pulling away to take a look at Dustin's face again. They were frowning, clearly at least a little upset by his words, or perhaps the conversation as a whole. He pushed their shades up to look them in the eye in the dim light, then leaned in to kiss them again. He tasted like blood, as their lips locked, likely a result of the nosebleeds that frequented both him and his father. They took a shuddering breath and pulled away. Noah held them close. "Don't cry. I'm okay, I promise. It's okay." They shook their head. "No, I... I'm the reason you're here. I put you in danger. I... I was so afraid, Noah, what if you'd died?" He shook his head. "No, it's okay! You still let me see more than Regalia and Anedonia, and... You're handling everything as best you can, or anyone can, in this situation." He wiped their tears away with his thumb. They were silent for a moment before speaking again. "I understand," They mumbled. They were silent for another moment before they spoke again. "We need to visit the medical ward. You need medicine." He nodded, and so did Gamri. "Yeah, you need to get back on those meds before you end up seizing again." Noah shot him a glare that said that he shouldn't have said anything, as Dustin frowned again. "You've... Been seizing?" He bit his lip. "Yeah, but it's no big deal, I promise-"  
"Yes, it is! You could die! How bad has it been?" He shrugged, voice quieting. "I- I think I might have, uh... In my sleep. I don't remember. Gam got special permission to stay close and be sure that I'm okay. That, a- and I've been kind of close to the nurse, too." He shifted, bracing himself against them she preparing to leave the bed, finally. Gam stood to help him up, offering an arm for him to grab onto. Dustin picked up their backpack and wrapped their arm around him to support him as he rose, feeling only worse as he winced in pain with the steps they took to finally leave. They wanted to just carry him, but he'd no doubt fight them on it.

The medical unit was brightly lit, and a bit cold. As they stepped inside, a man in teal scrubs looked up from his computer, turning off the monitor and then washing his hands at a sink, finally approaching the three of them  
"Noah, I... See you're back. I, uh... Can't give you any more ibuprofen-" Dustin cut him off. "I have his prescriptions. so please take them so that he has them as needed." The nurse nodded, coughing awkwardly. "Uh, y- yes, of course." He looked them up and down with rather innocent brown eyes. He didn't belong in a prison. "Who are you, can I ask? You, uh... You seem new." Dustin set their bag on the counter and rifled through it for the bag of medication bottles as Noah gratefully took a seat. "I came here with Noah before he was arrested. I'm his knight... Bodyguard, if you will." He nodded. Gamri grinned. "And his date-mate." They sighed, handing over the bag of ugly orange bottles. "Yes, that too." He nodded, swallowing any comments about how they weren't supposed to be in contact with people they knew. "Oh, uh... I understand. Well... I'm Danny. I'm the nurse here." They looked down at him, deciding to etch his features into their memory. They had the feeling they'd be seeing a lot of him, and that... Maybe he'd be important enough to them. He had tan skin and dark brown hair that curled upward, perhaps styled that way. He looked way too innocent to be here. He almost looked like a happy puppy, naive and loving and trusting. He'd probably cry if you hit him. They did have to admit, though, that he was cute. He prepared doses of everything, making notes in Noah's file for later reference, then stopped. "Uh, have you eaten?" Noah shook his head. "No, not really. I ate, but I threw it up." Dustin rested a hand on his shoulder. "Okay, so... In that case, can one of you visit the cafeteria and get something for him?" Dustin stopped Gamri as he got up. "I'm texting Hercilia to see if she can do it." Danny nodded, standing rather awkwardly in place with the cup of pills. They nodded after a moment, looking up. "She said she'll bring something down, just hang out for a little while." Gam sat down and scratched at the scales lining his jaw. He seemed rather restless now. That was understandable, though. Dustin had heard that prison was like living in a fishbowl, with everything being just so monotonous. Gamri could attest to that. He felt like he'd go insane being here. Nothing really happened. He only knew Hercilia, really, and she was busy, and it wasn't like he couldn't go anywhere. He'd taken to running outside, or in the gym, or swimming in the pool there for the waterbreathers, but in the time in between, he felt like he was dying of boredom. He was thankful that Noah was here. Not that he wanted to see him here- He didn't deserve to be here, but it was a comfort to see a familiar face. Noah definitely shared the sentiment. He'd have either lost his mind or slept for almost a solid 72 hours without Gamri. Sleeping was... Okay, as passing the time went, but having someone there to make sure you eat and drink, and to fill the silence and distract from the pain was nice.

Hercilia came in a few minutes with a tray resting on one hand, a bottle of water in the other. Noah glanced over at her, though said nothing, ears lying relaxedly, almost at the sides of his head, and further evidencing his disinterest in the food. Dustin nudged him as she set the tray down. He sat up after a moment, but only to get their elbow out of his ribs. "I brought you soup. I had it in my fridge, Danny made it. It's just chicken noodle soup, it's pretty good. I figured it'd be easier to eat than the food served here." Gamri nodded. "Yeah, it's probably better for ya now. Not that it's bad, 'cause it's at least edible, but it's not the best to be eatin' when you're sick." Danny nodded, clearly brightening up at the fact that Hercilia was commending his cooking. Noah still wasn't particularly interested in it, but it did beat the other food here, and he was dying to take his medication. He gave her a small "Thanks," and took the bowl, starting on it rather slowly. Gods, everything was so quiet in here. It was as if he was dying. Gam cleared his throat, deciding to try and break the silence. "So... what's gonna happen now? What... What's the situation?" Hercilia pursed her lips, looking to Dustin to say it. They bit their lip, fingers quick to busy themselves with touching the tie they were now wearing. Gam sighed. "Oh, jeez. It's not good, is it?" She shook her head. Noah ignored the two, now thoroughly interested in eating. Dustin sat up, finally straightening their tie and resting their hands in their lap. They cleared their throat. "So, I've been talking to Carmelo- Uh, the king, a lot, and... Uh, he- He's not so happy with this." Gam nodded. "Yeah, naturally."  
"So, he's sending a bunch of the members of the royal guard here to be guards in other prisons, ones in sorta similar situations." They rested a hand on Noah's back, one ear twitching in their direction. "Like, where they're run by people we're cool with, or that we can make friends with." Gam nodded. "Okay, that doesn't sound so bad. We're making connections in case something pops up. What else?"  
"Well, something will pop up, because Carmelo is declaring war." Gam's eyes widened, Noah choking for a moment on a mouthful of broth. "He what?!" Dustin winced and rubbed his back. "Y- yeah... He figured... He figured that this is sort of the straw that broke the camel's back."  
"He's starting a war over me!"  
"It's not just you! It's so many things, it's... You know what they do. Why you're here, both of you." Hercilia piped up, "What they did to Erehe and Anna..."  
"Yes!"  
"What they did to the monster king's son," Gamri added. "Exactly! They think that they can just go on, killing everyone that isn't straight, cis, and human! We've done enough sitting around with our thumbs up our asses, waiting for someone else to say something first!" Noah recoiled a bit. They did have a point. "It's been that way for so long. It's just never been personal to anyone who had the authority to do something on a large scale, until now. But, this? This is an absolute kick in the teeth to Carmelo, it is personal now. He's never had to worry before about what the cops are going to do to his kid, whether he'll see his son again, o- or touch you, and he... He understands now, the pain of the others in situations like this, and he can't ignore that. He can't turn his back on them and only help himself. If he does that, then he's no better than the people he's up against." Noah was silent. God, they were right. It hurt, but they were absolutely correct. He sighed, finally looking around, meeting everyone's eyes for a moment, before shaking his head and sighing. "So... What does this mean for us?" The others nodded in their own curiosity. Dustin was silent.   
"Well?" Gamri urged.  
"I don't know. We wait. We wait for an update from Carmelo and... We prepare for the worst. Prepare to fight, and we rally the prisoners for support. Plenty of them will be on our side, they're in a pretty similar sorta situation as Noah." Gamri and Hercilia nodded, though Danny seemed perhaps upset, or worried. Noah finished his food and took the medication from Danny eagerly, Danny taking the bowl to wash it out. She watched him for a moment, in the silence after Dustin had stopped talking. Noah took the medicine with probably half of the bottle of water that he'd been given, looking up at the rather nervous human. Hercilia finally spoke up, "What's eating you, Vasquez?" He looked to her, standing a little straighter. "Well, uh... I- It's just that if we go to war... What does that mean for me? I mean, wouldn't I kind of seem like the enemy?"  
"How so?"  
"Human."  
"Do you have anything against the inhuman, or... Y'know... What they don't consider normal?"  
"No, I- I'm bisexual myself." He smiled sheepishly. It felt nice, admittedly, to say it out loud for once. She nodded assuringly. "Congratulations. You're on our team, and nobody's going to question that unless you give them a reason to." He nodded slowly, quiet for another moment. "I've never been in a fight, though, let alone a war." To that, nobody knew what to say. Fighting was different for everyone, almost every time, based on the circumstances and just how you felt about it. Nothing against him, but to most of the room, it was clear that he was not cut out for fighting in the slightest. He was too soft to look another person in the eye and throw a punch, or cast a spell, or pull the trigger. His main purpose would most certainly be to hang back and treat the wounded. It was easy to guess that he had no combat medic certification, but someone could fill him in when the time came. Noah finally spoke up. "I know we don't know each other well, but from what I do know, it's not for you. You couldn't bring yourself to hurt another person, and... That's okay. There's not a problem with that. You're a born healer, and really, someone like that is just as big of a help in a fight, if not more." The others nodded in agreement, having no better way to put it themselves. He was silent for a moment before he nodded, voice quiet. "I understand. Thank you, Noah." He nodded after a moment, getting up and stretching. It still hurt, though he knew at least, that it would stop soon. The others simply watched him for a moment before Dustin rose, their hand connecting with the small of his back. He looked to them briefly before flashing them a smile and pressing a kiss to their lips, wrapping his arms around them and resting his head against theirs for a moment before speaking. "I should shower, Dustin." They nodded, holding onto him for a moment before pulling away. "Let's go. We'll call Carmelo afterward." Gamri stood, eager to help in some way, and perhaps a bit attached to Noah now, with how reluctant he seemed when it came to leaving him. "I'll get you a towel and a change of clothes, okay?" Noah nodded. "Y- Yeah, thanks." He took a couple of steps with Dustin holding onto him, before he seemed a little more prepared to handle walking, stepping out into the hall with the other two following. "Uh, take care, Noah!" Danny called after him. He turned to look back and nodded. "Yeah, thanks, Danny. I'll be back later, okay?" He nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you then." Gamri walked ahead of them, heading back to their bunk, while Noah took Dustin's hand, leading them in the same direction before turning a corner, then stopping, met with another very familiar face.

Tan skin, deep red eyes, the curly red hair. Noah couldn't mistake him for another if he tried.

"Cyknia? What are you doing here?" It was the redheaded fire god, wearing a uniform deep blue in color, and looking... Confused? No, perhaps afraid. He froze, locking eyes with the prince. His scent showed his surprise and indeed, lingering fear, though quickly replaced itself with happiness, definitely relief. "Noah? What... What are you doing here?" He sucked his teeth. "It's a long story here. You first, follow us to the showers." He nodded, taking Noah's arm gingerly and walking with the two. "They told me that I'd burned down a church. I... I didn't remember it, so I couldn't defend myself, and... They locked me up. Sent me to the psychiatric unit." Noah frowned, pulling out of Cyknia's grip to wrap that arm around his shoulders. "That's... God, that's awful. How long have you been here?" Cyknia shook his head. "I don't know. I- I just got out, I have to change into the other uniform before anyone sees me." Noah raised an eyebrow. "What? Why?"  
"They'll see me in this uniform and think that I'm crazy!" Noah nodded, pulling him in closer. "Hey, you've got your new uniform there, so come with us, and you can change. I'll fill you in while I shower." Cyknia nodded. "Okay. That sounds good. How long have you been here?" Noah shrugged as they entered the bathroom. "Three days." Dustin nodded a confirmation, guiding Noah into the largest shower stall, pulling his shirt off and planting a quick kiss on his neck. He giggled, pushing on their forehead. "Not now, Dustin." They cracked a smile, perhaps the first real smile he'd seen from them the whole time. They pulled away as he slid off his shoes, then pants, Dustin stepping away to pull the curtain over the shower and fold his clothes as he turned on the water. He tensed, then relaxed under the hot water, starting on his story to Cyknia as Gamri entered, handing a few things off to Dustin and wrapping his arms tightly around Cyk, listening to Noah's story for what was now the second time. It was really starting to feel like home, almost, with so many familiar faces. Perhaps that wasn't such a good thing, though. More pressing, though, was the threat of war now hanging over them. He'd have to listen in when Dustin and Noah next called the king.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noah makes a disconcerting discovery about the man running the kitchen, Imniliam. The group has a talk with Carmelo to talk about some important matters, followed by Hercilia mentioning that she has plans to involve Cyknia in the work in the kitchen. This prompts a negative reaction from Imniliam, who seems to be developing a strange affection for Noah, despite his conflicting actions.

Dustin could hardly stand to leave Noah at the end of the night. He was doing quite a lot better than when they'd arrived, and Hercilia even let them stay for an extra hour or so, but they still had to tear themself away from him. They needed sleep, and he needed it more. It was nice to be in familiar territory again, let their hair down— Let their guard down and just relax for perhaps the first time since they'd left the hotel for dinner on the first night. However, they could hardly wait to see him again. Nothing could happen to him in one night, but they couldn't take suddenly just… Seeing him hardly at all.

Noah seemed to be doing substantially better by now. He still wasn't quite 100% better, naturally, but he was up, at least. Perhaps against better judgement (and suggestion), he stood on a ladder in the back of the building, where Dustin had met up with Hercilia, fixing a light fixture. The tall man stood to his side, simply observing. Dustin grinned as they joined the two. "Noah, you look alive!" He looked down at them, resting one knee on one of the steps. "Yeah, I feel a lot better, now that I've taken my meds." They nodded, approaching the ladder and tugging on his clothes to urge him to stoop down and kiss them. He chuckled, then stole a swig of their coffee on the way back up. The man chuckled. "How touching. I take it you're the lover I've heard so much about." They nodded. "Yeah, I'd say so. My name's Dustin." They exchanged small bows. "A pleasure. I simply go by Imniliam around here."  
"Oh, like the god of life?"  
"Yes, you could say that," He seemed to regard that perhaps disdainfully. "I have been tasked with running the prison's kitchen, and I've come to meet our technician here." Dustin nodded. "Neat. Saw you yesterday, but we didn't talk," They looked up at Noah, "You makin' friends around here?" He nodded and hummed. "Yeah, you can say that. Imniliam's been filling me in on how things kinda work in the prison. You know Gamri works in the kitchen?" Dustin nodded. "That sounds like something that he'd be good at, what with Kyra raisin' him and all." Imniliam nodded. "Yes, he's proven himself to be quite capable on the kitchen. He's a good help, and quite a nice presence in the kitchen."  
"Glad he's got something to keep him busy. I'm surprised he's handling being here so well." They swirled the coffee in their cup. "Anyway, I'm gonna go report to Hercilia. Good luck with this." They turned, stopping for a moment. "It was nice meeting you, Imniliam." He nodded. "Likewise. I'm sure we'll be meeting again." They nodded, continuing on their way inside. Something about him felt strange, still. He acted a little like he was too good for this place, for one, but something about his entire being felt strange.

He almost seemed to relax as they left. Noah paid little attention, shifting a couple of wires around before putting everything back together and screwing in a lightbulb, smiling with satisfaction as it lit up. He lowered himself from the ladder, wiping his hands on his pants rather unceremoniously. "Uh, should be good now. If you have any other problems, come find me." Imniliam nodded. "Of course, my dear. Before you leave, I would like to ask you one thing." Noah looked up, meeting his eyes. It was rare that he met someone taller than himself, though perhaps that was because he spent so much time rather isolated from most people. "You see, the kitchen needs help with facilitating the transport of goods without the help of our friends running the place. We could use someone with your genius. I've heard about your work." Noah thought for a moment. Transport? "Like, smuggling?"  
"Yes, like smuggling," Imniliam seemed a bit dissatisfied with Noah's need for clarification. Smart, he was, but apparently socially illiterate. "Read between the lines, my dear. I wouldn't want them to hear about what goes on here." Noah chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, uh… I mean, I'm flattered, really, but I'm not here for any real reason. Last thing I wanna do is give them a reason to keep me," He ran his fingers through his hair. "I mean, if it'd do me any good, I'd tell someone about this, but it won't, so—" Imniliam snatched at his collar, yanking him closer and leaning in. "Shut your mouth before I sew it shut for you, boy. You will do no such thing." Noah yelped in surprise, then narrowed his eyes and yanked his pendant out from under his shirt, thrusting it against imniliam's hand and preparing to cast a spell. He couldn't use his own magic, but maybe the magic of a god would be exempt from the effect of the magic blocker. His focus was shattered, though, as Imniliam retracted his hand and hissed in pain, a reddish mark forming where the holy object had touched him. Noah took a couple of steps back, eyes widening. "You... You're the—"  
"Shut up!" Imniliam snapped. He was quite defensive, now that someone knew. His whole body was screaming with pain that radiated from the spot where the holy object had touched him. "We will not speak of any of this, Noah. Not to anyone, and especially not to the gods that you let keep you as a pet." Noah narrowed his eyes, then softened. For one of the extremely few things considered unholy, he wasn't so bad. Noah felt bad for him, even. He seemed to be just getting along as it stood, surrounded by mortals. He was even caged, more or less, so they even knew that he wasn't going anywhere for a good, long while. Noah nodded. "Y- Yes, I understand. You have my word," He sighed, tucking the pendant back in with shaking hands. "I apologize. I'll be on my way." He picked up the few tools he'd brought with him and left promptly, walking past Imniliam and leaving him alone, staring at the ladder pensively. This wouldn't do at all. He couldn't let someone know like that, but… Gods, he couldn't kill the Regalian prince. That would really put a price tag on his head with the gods. He'd have to figure out how to patch things over with the boy. Perhaps he would forget. He was intelligent, though. Astoundingly so, from what he'd heard. He didn't believe that he would actually forget. It was another thing to spend his time on, yes. Perhaps another migraine to occupy his time. For now, though, he needed to collect himself. This day was already quite eventful, and not in a good way. He took another moment, standing out there before turning and entering the kitchen once more.

Noah sighed and ran his fingers over the ridges on the screwdriver's handle. Gods, he had no idea what to do now. A familiar pain was sneaking its way behind his eyes with the weight of, now, two situations. The war, and now knowing that the amalgamate was real. Yes, he should have known— He'd been held by the wind god as a baby and hugged the angel of death… Even had tea with the Wanderer and what was probably the Nasseo. He wasn't sure about that one. That one was more Nexon's myth than Regalia's, so he truthfully had little knowledge of that. But, Imniliam… Well, for starters, that absolutely was not his name. It was a… A mockery of the god of life, and more likely, the title from the humans, the god of monsters.

So, this guy thought himself a badass, some kind of monster.

Well, he most definitely was, based on the things he'd heard, but he'd most definitely declawed that kitty, so to speak. That would probably come back to bite him. Wonderful. He turned the corner, rubbing at his temple and trying to will away the headache, and even a bit of nausea trying to creep up on him. He inhaled sharply, then picked his head up at the familiar scent. "Gam?" The pinket was at the other end of the hall, quickly turning to face him with a smile. "Hey! I was lookin' for ya, Hercilia an' Dustin asked for ya. Both of us, actually, together. Let's, uh… Let's head in that direction, huh?" He nodded toward the end of the hall that Noah had just come from. Noah shrugged. "Alright. What's this about?" Gamri shrugged, taking his hand as they turned back. "Nobody told me. Might be important." He let go of his hand and placed it on his back instead. "How are you feeling?" Noah's turn to shrug. "Headache. Guess I'm kind of achy, still, feel a little sick. I got something done, though. That's a plus." Gam offered a toothy, lopsided grin. "Yeah! One or two things is a good first step after you got knocked down like that for a few days." Noah nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah, I guess it is. I'll see if I can find anything else to do after we visit Hercilia." The dragon nodded, the two of them settling into a comfortable silence as they walked. As they approached, Gamri reached out to turn the knob, ushering Noah in ahead of him.

Hercilia was facing the window, a cup of coffee in her hand. Dustin sat in front of her desk, their hair meticulously braided over their shoulder and their attention occupied by a puzzle cube. Hercilia's head turned as the door opened, the rest of her body following in a moment. "Hey, there you are. Glad you both made it. Noah, I've heard that you made yourself busy. How's that going?" He shrugged. "It's easy work. I don't mind it, though. It's something to keep me busy. I also, uh… I met the one who runs the kitchen." He stuck his hands into the pockets of his shirt. "Yeah, he, uh… Goes by Imniliam." Noah scoffed, "I heard. I'm not really a fan of that." Hercilia pursed her lips, "I knew you'd get a kick out of that. I, uh… I don't really know what else to call him. I don't know his real name, he kind of expunged that in my records. He's got a gang-type thing going, so I wouldn't mess with him too badly. I kind of just let him run the kitchen as something where he's in charge of other people, but doesn't really have that much authority. It's to keep him happy. It's kind of a middle ground," She cleared her throat. Noah had half a mind to assume that she was afraid of the broken angel. "Anyway, that's not what I called you here for. I have presents," She hummed in a sing-song voice. She set the cup on the desk, Dustin lifting their head and watching her quite intently. She opened a drawer, lifting two plastic bags out. Gamri's ears perked up at the sight, and more so the scent. It was a bit faint, but one of the bags smelled like Noah, and the other, he could see, held his scarf, folded and stuffed into the bag rather haphazardly. It wasn't particularly valuable, truthfully, but it was quite important to Gamri. "Goodie bags, sweet," Noah chuckled, perhaps masking his excitement. He took the one that was most certainly, by process of elimination, his. It contained… Well, everything that was in his pockets before. A few nuts and bolts and whatnot, his wallet, and most importantly, perhaps, his phone. Gam took his bag eagerly, opening it and taking the scarf in his hands, then burying his nose into the fabric. It smelled like home, like his parents and the candy shop. God, he missed that. Noah took out his phone and turned it on. It only had been a few days, but he missed the connection to the outside world. Gods, Morgan and Ajax were probably worried sick. Dustin finally set the puzzle cube down, sitting up and picking up their cup of iced coffee on the floor, then turning in their seat to face Noah. He looked to them as his phone powered on, his eyes flicking over their features. They looked a little tired, perhaps, though faring well, given the situation. They sucked down coffee quietly, either mentally checked out or lost in thought. Noah looked down at his phone again, now buzzing quite vivaciously as the messages flowed in. A good twenty or so from Morgan, maybe twelve or so from Tokyo, ten from Ajax, and quite a few missed calls from them, plus a few others. 

Good to know that he was missed.

Dustin leaned in to look over his shoulder, their hand resting over his free hand. He looked through the concerned texts, though responded to none, sighing and turning off the screen. He'd cross that bridge when he had any idea of how to respond. He rested his head against Dustin's and sighed. "We need to call Dad. I haven't talked to him since we left." Shit, that was right. They'd… Well, they'd talked to him practically constantly, but he'd only spoken to him after they arrived. Perhaps it was just part of his job, but Carmelo seemed to have quite a way with words, in his attempts to make Dustin feel better about the situation. Nice words and a handsome face always tended to sweeten a situation. Noah kissed their cheek, both of them sitting up. Dustin pulled out their phone and dialed Carmelo's number. Gam and Hercilia sat in their places quietly, both in courtesy and in curiosity.

In a couple of moments, Carmelo answered, sounding perhaps disgruntled. "Yes, Dustin?" They picked at the ends of their hair. "Hey, Carmelo. I'm, uh… I'm here with Noah… And Gamri and Hercilia." Carmelo felt around for his glasses, rising from the bed and opening a door in a couple of moments. It was late in Regalia. Very late. Nurigi laid in the bed, sleeping peacefully as he left her alone. "How is he? And… How are things going?" Noah cleared his throat, which suddenly felt rather tight. "I'm alright, Dad. Hercilia just gave me my phone, so I can keep in touch a little better."  
"That's good. Do you have your medications?"  
"Yeah, Dustin brought them to me yesterday. How… Um… How are things at home?" Carmelo was silent for a moment. He could try to lie to Noah, but... No, he couldn't. If what he knew of Dustin was true, Noah probably already knew. Besides that, he couldn't keep Noah in the dark. He was a smart boy, and… Well, he was an adult. He could handle the truth. He deserved to know the truth. "How much do you know?" It was Noah's turn to be silent for a moment. "Everything Dustin knows, as of yesterday." Carmelo hummed in response. "Right, then. I suppose I'll fill you all in at once. Hercilia, are you listening?" She sat up, trashing the candy wrapper she was studying. "Yeah, I'm here. What's up?"  
"I am sending my royal guardsmen to your area. Some will work for you, in your prison, and some, I will send to work in other areas to... Rally the prisoners, I suppose. I've heard that quite a few prisoners over there are… understaffed." She nodded. "Yeah, they are. This one was pretty bad before I moved my men in. We've been here for a good while. I'm actually kind of proud of the improvements. They're, uh… kinda inspired by the way prisons are run in Regalia." She chuckled sheepishly. He chuckled, too, "Very nice. Learning from the best, I see." Proud? Not him. Not that he had made it the way that it was, but he was proud to hear that his country was the gold standard in her eyes. "Well, I'll leave it up to you to decide who you'll take in. I only request that you allow Alia to remain close. Her unit is coming, among others. She is an excellent tactician." Hercilia nodded. "I'll take her whole unit here. They're all welcome to stay around the clan's property."  
"Lovely. Thank you so much. I've not many other updates, then. They're coming in the morning."  
"What time is it?"  
"Close to three in the morning." She cringed. "Jeez, you should have told us it was late, we would have called later." He laughed. "No, no, it's fine. There's no real way to call at a time quite convenient for either of us."  
"Fair, but you're busier than we are. We'll let you go now, but you call us later."  
"Yes, madame." He chuckled. She grinned at the sound. "Alright, we'll letcha go now. Take care, Carmelo."  
"Same to all of you. I'll call again when they're on their way." She nodded again, looking to the others. "Got it. Bye, Carmelo." He chuckled and hung up. She sighed, a smile still on her face as she handed the phone back to Dustin. They pocketed it, staring at her for a moment before they spoke. "You like Carmelo, don't you?" Her expression turned to one of surprise. "Huh?"  
"You have feelings for Carmelo." She scoffed, then shrugged after a moment or two. "I guess, yeah. Just look at him!"  
"Oh, I know."  
"Can you at least maybe give me time to get out of the room before you guys start talking about banging my dad?" Noah, stood, holding the bag he was given in his hands. "Hold onto this for me. It's all stuff to get lost or taken." He handed the bag back to Hercilia. "Thanks for my phone, at least. I'm gonna see what else I can get done around here." He leaned in and kissed Dustin. "Text me if you need anything from me." He turned to leave before Hercilia stopped him again. "Wait, I, uh… One more thing." He stopped, looking over his shoulder. "What is it?"  
"Not much, I just… I want to keep Cyknia busy. I feel bad for him, I honestly don't know about his meds situation, but I feel like it would help him to keep him busy. I think he'd be good in the kitchen, he's mentioned that he likes to cook." The kitchen. With Imniliam. He couldn't weasel his way out of that one without being suspicious, given his relationship with Cyknia. He bit his lip, thinking for a moment. "Do you think he'll be okay with Imniliam?" She thought about it herself for a moment. "I think it'll be okay. Cyknia seems to get along with everyone, and he doesn't seem to fear anyone, either. Seems pretty good to me, since a lot of people seem kind of put off by him. What about you, Gam? Do you think Cyknia's a good fit for the kitchen?" He shrugged. "I've never talked to Imniliam all that much, but Cyknia would work great in the kitchen, unless you want help with your work, Noah." He shook his head. "Honestly, not really. It's really simple stuff, he'd probably be bored kind of quickly. Besides, he's got kitchen experience." He nodded, then looked back at Hercilia as he wrapped his scarf around his neck. "He'll start work in the kitchen tomorrow, then." Gam nodded again, standing and pocketing his phone, then handing over the rest of the bag. Noah continued toward the door, Gam following him quickly. "I'm gonna go back to the tool room for a while. I'm working on repairs and stuff mostly, but let me know when dad calls." He looked over his shoulder again as he opened the door. She nodded. "Go ahead and do that. Remember to take your medications and all." He waved back at her as he left. "Got it. Thanks, Hercilia." Gamri waved, too, as he left, leaving Hercilia and Dustin alone again. He and Noah only stayed together for a little longer before they parted ways for him to find Cyknia and deliver the news.

In the next few hours, Cyknia and Gam had made their way to the kitchen for Cyk to become more acquainted with his job. Imniliam was quite tense, however, for once shying away from new help. Noah passed through for a brief moment to take the ladder back, Imniliam following him outside quite quickly, stepping out and blocking the doorway before he could do much of anything. Despite his words earlier, he needed to at least try to get along with the prince. It was in his best interest. "Noah," He began, "Why is the fire god here?" Noah rubbed his arm, shouldering the ladder. "I tried to avoid him being put here, but I couldn't really, uh… I couldn't argue against him being here. Not without exposing you." Imniliam started to speak, then sighed. "Deal with him."  
"I can't, he's basically a relative, I can't just tell him to screw off or something."  
"Of course you can't." He huffed. Who was he, trying to boss someone with the upper hand like that? "Listen, I think you'll be fine. You're very well put together, so just act natural. Cyknia isn't even that bad. You leave him alone, and he'll leave you alone, like with the protena." That stirred something inside of Imniliam, memories of them trickling in from his various pieces. Of course, the boy was right, though what would he know about that? Protena were endemic to Nexon, he would have never seen one. He'd make a good lawyer, though, was he interested in law. "Very well. He can stay, I suppose." It hurt even more to be around him than did the touch of the emblem, but he'd just have to suck it up and keep his head held high. He was a grown man. He was more than that. He could tolerate it and act like an adult about it. Noah leaned in and wrapped an arm around him, then set the ladder on the wall to bring both arms around him. "Thanks, Imniliam. Cyk has it kind of rough, so it means a bunch that you're giving him that pass." He was taken by surprise by the embrace, evoking another feeling, now from himself, rather than the pieces inside of him.

No, no. Enough of that. He wouldn't let the prince get to him that easily.

His pale cheeks had just a hint of pink to them as Noah pulled away. He took the ladder and smiled up at him as he left, finally. "I'll see you around, okay? Let me know if you need anything from me." He turned and left without hesitation, passing carefully through the kitchen. This time, Cyknia followed him out, waiting until they were out of the kitchen to speak. "Noah, wait!" He stopped and looked at him, resting the ladder on the floor again. "Hey Cyk, how're you feeling?" He drew nearer, wrapping his arms around Noah. It was different, being almost unable to wrap his arms around someone, but it was nice. Aaron and Aysus were both quite thin, especially in comparison to Noah's muscular physique. "I'm alright. I, uh… It's about the one who runs the kitchen. Imniliam, he calls himself." Play dumb, Noah thought to himself, "What about him?"  
"I know what he is, Noah." Cyknia's eyes widened. Nevermind. Noah felt like he knew too much to just not talk about it. He sighed, "I do, too. I... I don't know what to do about it, though. He's under control here, but… Mh, still. He's afraid, though. He knows what you are, too, so he's more afraid of you than you are of him."  
"I know. I… I feel guilty already. I'm supposed to destroy something like him, but I can't just do that. I can't... Bring fear, and then death, to… Anyone, even him. Noah squeezed his shoulder with one hand. "Then don't. We'll leave him alone until he's a threat. Nobody said that you specifically had to be the one, so as far as we can help it, you won't be." Cyknia nodded and wrapped his arms around him again. "Okay. I love you." Noah smiled. "I love you, too, Cyknia. We'll talk more later, okay?" The fire god nodded, nuzzling Noah's chest before pulling away to return to his work. "Bye, Noah." He waved back at him, taking the ladder again and heading down the hall. It was already turning into quite a long day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group, now including the small unit of soldiers sent by Carmelo, has a talk with the king. Imniliam tries several times to have a talk with Noah, who spends the day feeling under the weather. That night, though, he finally gets his chance. The two of them bond over a moment of mutual understanding and an interesting conversation about the impending war.

Eight people packed themselves into Hercilia’s office, gathered in front of the computer on the desk. Carmelo was on the other end, the twins shadowing him as he sat in the castle’s cafeteria with a cup of coffee in hand. The four soldiers now quartered in the guild hall stood in uniform amongst the others, Alia joining Dustin and Hercilia at the front. The king took a sip of his coffee, sighing. “Well, how are things?” The group looked around at one another, waiting for someone to speak first. Alia cleared her throat and stood at attention. “Sir, we are adjusting to the difference in time zones, but we are settling in nicely. The clan has provided us with plenty, much more than we had hoped originally.” He nodded, “Very nice. Thank you, Hercilia, for taking care of my men.” She nodded and smiled. “Of course. I myself have nothing to report. Things for me are going quite well.” He nodded again. The rest were silent, at least until called out, offered short, rather awkward replies from Ethan and Cobian, who were surprised, mostly, by the fact that he actually knew their name. He looked to Dustin and Noah finally, nodding to them. “And, of course, my son and my child-in-law.” Dustin smiled tiredly. “How have you been, since we last spoke?” Dustin seemed to consider their answer before they shrugged. “Tired, mostly. Same as before.” Noah wrapped his arm around them comfortingly, resting his head against theirs. “And you, Noah?” He crossed one leg over the other and took another drink, one of the serving androids coming close for a moment in attempts to offer a drink. Noah smiled at that, though he looked tired just the same. “Not a lot going on for me. I, uh... I’ve been working around here. Just repairing some stuff, it’s easy work.” Carmelo smiled. “I’m happy to hear that you are keeping busy. How have you been feeling?” He’d heard about how he’d gone those three days without his medication, and it was honestly enough to make him feel sick out of sympathy. He’d honestly rather take a bullet than go without his own. “Uh, I’m alright. I’m a little sore and I’ve been sick, but I’m okay.” Carmelo nodded. “I’m glad to hear that you’re recovering well. If things go well, we should have you home before your medication runs out.” Noah nodded, though he greatly disliked that statement. They were going to war and it was all his fault, the least that he could do was stay and fight.

He forced a smile and straightened. "I understand. I might also add that, uh... We did find a potential combat medic here.” Carmelo hummed, “Very nice. Have they done this sort of thing before?” He shook his head, “N- no, I don't think so, but he’s got some potential. He probably needs some extra training to work in the field, but I think he should be able to pick up what he’s missing pretty quickly once he’s around other medics.” Carmelo gave a nod. They probably had plenty of medics already, but extra help was always more than appreciated. It was much better to be over-prepared than to have not enough hands.

“Is there anything else to report?” The group murmured amongst themselves, before settling upon a chorus of 'no's. Carmelo chuckled and stroked his jawline, "Well then, I suppose I'll be taking my leave so that everyone can get back to work. I'll be checking in later, of course, though call if you should need anything before then." Noah nodded, "We'll talk to you later, dad. Uh, I guess you can call me now, i- if you need to tell me something." Carmelo nodded. "Very nice. That's good to hear. Make sure that you let your friends know that you are alright. I'll leave you all to your work, whatever Hercilia has decided that it is." She smiled, "Take care, Carmelo. We'll talk later." She gave him a slight bow as he disconnected. She took the computer and closed the lid, setting it where it properly went on the desk. "Well," She sighed, "Welcome, to Carne, kids. It's hot, the government is fucked up, and you have to pay for your healthcare. Enjoy your stay." Alia scoffed, "Thanks, man. What do you want us to do around here?" Hercilia shrugged, "Keep busy. Make sure the inmates don't kill each other or light anything on fire."  
"Including each other?"  
"Especially each other."  
The others sniggered behind them. Alia chuckled. "Anything else?" Hercilia thought for a moment. "I guess you can meet the other staff. There's other officers, a nurse... There's supposed to be a counselor, but I've honestly never met them. I think I saw them once in the hall." The three guardsmen exchanged looks with each other, seeming to look to Alia for an answer, as their commander. "Well, I guess we'll meet the nurse if we're gonna have to ally with him." Cobian and Ethan nodded, though Sachin spoke for perhaps the first time since they'd arrived, "I'll be looking around the rest of the facility and finding somewhere to make myself useful." She nodded. "You are dismissed, then. Hercilia, call us if you need anything. We owe you one, majorly." She nodded and smiled, hardly looking up from the paperwork already on her desk as she popped a piece of candy into her mouth. They all filed out the door, Noah stealing a kiss from Dustin before they took the lead of the group. He was quiet now, simply following along as Dustin walked them all around, pointing out the very few things that they recognized in the building. He hung close, drawing himself in, even, and allowing them to wrap an arm around him. Cobian glanced down at Ethan after a moment of watching the couple, for a moment picturing the two of them in Noah and Dustin's places before brushing off the idea. After a few more moments, Noah excused himself to find work to attend to after pecking Dustin's cheek. Imniliam still occupied his mind heavily, bringing with him a headache. Noah sucked in a breath and rubbed his eyes, attempting to move on quickly. He didn't have time for this, he had work to do.

Honestly, the things he did here were, in majority, not even busy work at home. He was absolutely above the work here, but at the same time, he'd tear his own hair out if he had to sit and stare at the walls all day. At least he had his phone now, but... Still. He needed the complexities of the machines at home, the computers and robots, to really keep him satisfied. Maybe he could convince Hercilia to let him poke at her computer, or find him a broken one to repair. He sighed, leaning into an empty space on the kitchen counter, next to a half disassembled radio that he'd taken to fixing. The headache was growing still, threatening to make him return to his bunk before he wanted to. That, or leave him in a pained haze. A cool hand brushed against his back gently before pulling away, sending a shiver down his spine. He picked his head up to see who it was, finding none other than the mobster gliding past him, surveying the work of his crew. Gamri and Cyknia seemed to have decided to keep close rather quickly, chattering happily as they worked on preparing lunch already. Noah pulled himself away from the counter, willing away the dizziness that the headache had brought with it. He was going to finish with this radio before he did anything else, damnit. It wasn't even that hard, just replacing some wires should do the trick. He just had to steady himself and finish up.

As Noah left, Imniliam cast a glance his way again, though this time left him alone. As much as he didn't want to admit, maybe a trip to the infirmary was for the better. He shuffled there, pushing the door open and stopping when he found himself facing Dustin and the others, making themselves quite at home as they talked with Danny. There was a pause before Dustin grinned. "Hey, Noah! What's up?" He gave them all a slight smile as he sat down next to Dustin, though quickly finding himself leaning into them and their warmth. "Not much... Just here for medicine, I don't feel too good." They wrapped their arm around his shoulders, "What's wrong? Danny will get you something, right?" He nodded, rising and grabbing a clipboard, deciding to just hand it over to Noah, rather than giving him the typical interview most patients got. He didn't need it by now, he had more experience here than Danny could probably even want to dream of. With that out of the way, he quickly checked to be sure that Noah hadn't missed any medications again and swiped a thermometer across his forehead. He took a moment to assess the results before tapping the pen against the clipboard. "Well, you don't have a fever and you're not missing medication, so... I guess I'll just go and get you something to take for the short term. Sound good?" Noah nodded, "Mh, thanks, Danny." He smiled and nodded, setting the clipboard down to look through the cabinets as the conversation returned to life. Dustin rubbed his back as he waited, continuing to talk to Cobian. Noah couldn't have told them what was just said, truthfully, the whole conversation just background noise to him. Danny approached after a moment, holding out a cup of medication. "Here. Do you want some water?" Noah had already taken the cup and swallowed the pills, then looked up at him with a raised brow, met by the confused, perhaps surprised expression on Danny's face."Huh? Oh, uh... I'm good, thanks." Danny nodded, the others snickering as he sat back down at the desk. Noah would normally have accepted, but he was honestly quite sure that it would just come back up if he drank anything.

After another couple of moments, Ethan excused himself to answer a call from one of the other staff members. Cobian watched him as he left, eyes filled with perhaps longing. Dustin sighed, pulling Noah in close again. "Hey, you know staring won't do anything for you, right?" He scoffed, ears pinning back, "Yes, I know."  
"So ask him out."  
He shifted in his seat. "I, uh—"  
"Cobi, listen to me. You two've known each other for years, half the time you're all over each other anyway, an' as far as I'm aware, you two share the bed like, a lot, for just friends, and you're pretty touchy-feely with each other for just friends, too." He rolled his eyes and groaned, his face flushed as he looked away from them, "Don't put it all out there like that, c'mon."  
"It's true, you useless goddamn gay! Go ask him out! Make it official!"  
"It's fine!"  
"Talk to him, or I'll do it for you." He waved them off, "Okay, fine! I'll do it later!" Dustin grinned, perhaps proudly. Noah chuckled, taking their free hand in his own. After a short while longer, Cobian left, then Dustin and Noah.

They began to part ways with the prince when he stopped them, grabbing onto their wrist. "Hey, Dustin, wait... Come lay down with me." They stopped for a moment, looking back at him, then following. Were their actual objective not to just keep him as comfortable as possible, they'd probably have had to decline to do other work, but maybe they'd lucked out. They followed him back to his bunk, kissing his forehead lightly as they settled on the bed and the silence settled around them. As they laid down together, it was a bit surprising how quickly Dustin fell asleep. It was clear that they were exhausted. He had no doubt— He was, too, but they were carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, compared to their usual responsibility. He buried his face into their shoulder and their soft, curled hair, simply losing himself in thought for the time being.

What a mess he'd gotten them into.

He was close to sleep when he caught the dark form of another person in the corner of his eye. An ear twitched and he picked his head up, only for it to retreat from view. He blinked rather stupidly, his sleep-addled mind rather baffled by the figure, then laid his head back down. Was that... Imniliam? He thought on it for a moment, then dropped it, nuzzling into Dustin's neck. If Imniliam was here to shank him, he'd deal with it when he chose to actually do so.

He woke again, quietly, blinking owlishly and looking around. It was still just him and Dustin, save for a few nocturnals sleeping in their bunks. He sat up, drawing his jacket around his muscular frame. It felt good to sleep, but he still had quite a headache. He shifted, wriggling off the bed as carefully as he could to avoid waking Dustin, then slipped on his shoes and padded down the hall. Once he found the screwdriver in his pocket, which he was lucky to have avoided getting stabbed with, he was determined to find something to do around here. Quiet footsteps followed him before a tan-skinned hand grabbed his hand and stopped him. It was Gamri, he could tell by his scent before he even spoke. "Hey, Imniliam's looking for you." Oh. Oh no. That probably wasn't good. He glanced at him over his shoulder, hiding his worry behind his usual, rather neutral expression. "How come? Is something broken?" Gam shrugged. "Dunno. He said for me to bring you back, though, so I guess he wants us both." Noah swallowed back any apprehension he had and turned to follow Gamri back to the kitchen. He didn't seem to know anything about what Imniliam was, and... He wasn't going to rat him out. He was sure that if he did that, Imniliam would have him taking quite a long nap in the walk-in freezer.

As they entered, the kitchen was surprisingly empty. Imniliam was in the office, poring over documents scattered across his messy desk. He picked his head up as they entered, soon standing to greet them. A pot boiled away on the stove, which he turned off as he approached. "Noah, so good to see you. I've heard that you've been a bit under the weather lately." Please don't say that he poisoned him or something. Maybe he was going to kill him in front of Gam to show him that he should be afraid. He gave a simple nod. Imniliam chuckled, icy cold fingers coming under his chin to tilt his head upward and look at him. "Why so shy now, dear? You won't let one little scuffle ruin our relationship, will you?" His smile seemed quite genuine, but to be fair, he might as well have been a professional liar. Noah shook his head. "No, sir. I- My apologies, I really haven't been feeling well." Gam looked between them. "You guys were fighting? How come?"  
"A simple disagreement. We're bigger people than that, though. We won't let it come between us." He smiled rather warmly, though Noah found it quite eerie. Should he be running away? "Now, then. I made you something to eat since I've heard that you haven't been eating well. You know how bad that is for your health, I'm sure, so I took it upon myself to lend a helping hand." He ladled some of the boiling hot broth into a bowl and handed it over on a serving tray. "Careful now, it's hot. I'm sure that won't bother Gamri, though." He handed a bowl to Gamri, earning a smile and a thanks, while Noah gave a short bow and a whispered thanks. Imniliam simply poured himself a drink. "Come, sit with me. I'm sure it's been a while since you've had a substantial meal with other people, hm?" Noah shrugged, the two of them following Imniliam to sit at a table.

Gamri was quick to start on his food, unbothered by the heat. Noah was still rather quiet, eating only a small spoonful here and there. Imniliam furrowed his brow lightly, then reached out and felt his forehead. His ear twitched as the cold hand touched his face, though he'd be lying if he said that it didn't feel kind of nice. "Have you been taking your medication, Noah?" He nodded. "And resting enough?" He nodded again. Imniliam hummed and retracted his hand. Gamri looked up, then over at him, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe you're sick? Like you caught something. You should see Danny about it." He sniffed, "I did, he gave me something to treat it. Not much else he can do. I guess it might also just be stress, since Dustin's not doing great, either." Gamri nodded, murmuring sympathetically and resting his head on Noah's shoulder for a moment. Imniliam sighed, "I wouldn't doubt it, dear. It's quite the unfortunate mess that you all have been sucked into. You all have my sympathy and my aid, should it be of use." Some bitter piece of Noah wanted to tell him that his sympathy meant nothing, but it did. He was sure that it took a lot to make a soulless man feel for another. His aid, though, was undoubtedly useful. Surely the pieces of those many angels that he had consumed would translate into some twisted bastardization of the holy magic imbued within their collective being. That, or maybe they simply lent him their powers. Noah couldn't say for certain, and it was probably rude to ask. He simply nodded after a moment, sighing and eating a few more bites of his food before standing to leave, still with no appetite and a horrible headache. Hopefully, Dustin was still at his bunk. "I appreciate it, and the food you've made. I'm... Not really feeling up to eating right now, so... I- I think I'll just go back to bed." Imniliam nodded, perhaps a bit disappointed that the conversation wouldn't go on. "Very well. Would you like us to walk you back?" Noah shook his head and offered a polite refusal, turning and heading back down the hall.

Gamri looked back at him, then to Imniliam, raising the dish to drink the hot broth. He spoke after a moment, resting his chin against his palm. "How do you and Noah know each other? Like, were you friends back in Regalia?" Imniliam swirled the liquid in his cup, then took a drink. "No, no. A religious affiliation. Truthfully, I've lived on the opposite side of the globe for much longer than he has been alive." Gamri nodded. "Which god do you tend to follow?" Imniliam paused, then smiled slightly, "All of them. I have no sole patron." Not a lie, but a twisted exaggeration of the truth. He nodded again, finishing his bowl and remaining for a moment in silence before he stood, thanking him and taking the dishes to was them. Imniliam remained for a moment longer, then retreated to the office in the back once more. He still needed to talk to Noah. For real.

Maybe the choice to spend most of his day sleeping away his ills was short-sighted. Noah felt better now, yes, but gods, he was bored. Dustin was gone, Gamri asleep on the bed across from him, and the tools locked up. That left him with... Basically nothing. He could probably find a pencil and some paper to draw, but that wasn't really what he was looking for. At the very least, maybe he could try to talk to the nocturnals or visit the library. Otherwise, he was left with... Yeah, still basically nothing.

However, he met the solution to his problem quickly, in the form of glowing eyes drawing near, but not catching his attention until their bearer spoke in whispered Nexonian, startling the prince. It was Imniliam— What could he want at a time like this?  
"Quiet, child! Come with me."  
"What? Why?"  
"Because you're sitting awake with nothing to do. More importantly, I'd like to talk to you." Oh no. Noah felt like that was a bad sign. Maybe he was paranoid, but Imniliam had his reputation for a reason. "Come, now." He offered a pale hand to him. Noah hesitated, then took it, surprised by the strength with which Imniliam pulled him up, as opposed to how thin he looked. He had to say, prison scrubs were quite unflattering on the otherwise attractive man, though he was sure that he looked much better in the tailored suit that he probably wore outside of here. He took a moment to process, then slipped on a pair of sandals, following Imniliam's lead into the kitchen. His words, still hushed, but less afraid to wake the sleeping inmates in the dormitory, came in their shared native Nexonian. "Loosen up. I wouldn't kill you here if my life depended on it. Your pet there would never allow it, and I'm not even including your mate, your patron, or Cyknia in that equation."  
"Or the royal guardsmen."  
"Yes, that's exactly my point. Your people have me quite cornered, so if I may call that discussion done with, I only want to talk to you."  
"Is it about yesterday?"  
"In part. Other things, too." Noah nodded. That still didn't quite put his fears to rest. They walked through the kitchen, to the back, and out the door— They were where they'd met. The light turned on as they approached, then sat on the concrete dock before them, first Imniliam, then Noah. The two sat for a moment in an awkward silence before Imniliam sighed.

"You know."

Noah grimaced, then nodded. "I do." He looked up to Imniliam, "I... I'm sorry."  
"For what?"  
"I- I don't know, it's just... All I feel like I can say. I feel like I shouldn't know. It... I guess on some level, I feel like it's not my place to know." Imniliam hummed, "I suppose I would prefer you to another." Noah pulled one leg up, crossing it under the other. "But why? I'm a disciple, we're at odds— We're practically supposed to be enemies."  
"Noah, I mean what I say when I tell you this— It could be worse. It could have been someone with no understanding. It could have been a disciple much less forgiving. Worse yet, it could have been a god less willing to tolerate my existing then Siknia."  
"I mean... I can't help but feel like that's just because he can't do anything right now, with that magic blocker."  
"Noah, Siknia is a pushover. He would rather look the other way than to be the one to kill me. He wouldn't even be the one to break the parts of me that belonged to him. Morohi did it because he couldn't do it himself. Siknia is a gentle soul, yes, but truly, he is a coward. He cannot face one who belongs to him, and he will not face me knowing that parts of me once belonged to him." Noah opened his mouth for a response, though found none. He simply averted his eyes and rubbed his arm. He wouldn't use those specific words, but ultimately, he wasn't exactly wrong. Sensitive? Absolutely, Cyknia was sensitive, but calling him a coward was far from fair judgement.

But nevermind, this wasn't about Cyknia.

"Do you... Do you feel what they do... Or... Did? Do you feel for him?" He was met with Imniliam's silence for a moment, then a response. "I do, to answer both of those. They are divided but not dead, and the parts of me that once belonged to him are pulled to him— Sometimes it feels like physically so. I cannot speak for every piece of me, but I think that some may want to reconcile... Or simply want his comfort, and it's so, so painful. I don't know if it would physically pull me apart, and I don't want to know." He fell silent, absently rubbing the burn on his arm. Noah averted his eyes again. He felt bad now. "Did that hurt, too?" Imniliam shot him a quizzical look. "It burned me, what do you think? If you're asking how similar it is to Siknia's effect on me, then... It hurts in the same way, with the addition of the burn. It's all very intense. Frighteningly so."  
"I... I'm sorry. I really am."  
"Stop apologizing. I didn't die. It would take much more to achieve that." Noah looked away again, cheeks flushing slightly. "I still hurt you, Imniliam."  
"Many things have hurt me," He ran his fingers through his hair, knocking bits loose, "But enough of that. I suppose you don't have to call me that anymore, either."  
"Imniliam?" Noah questioned.   
"No more."  
"What would you rather I say?"  
"You should know."  
"Munuco?" It felt as if it was a name that he shouldn't have ever dared to say, but here he was.  
"Yes."  
"But why?" Noah straightened, ears sticking straight up. Munuco sighed. "You and I both know that stealing Imniliam's name was a cruel joke. If anyone here has earned the ability to use my gods-given title, it's you." Noah had no words to respond with, but he felt as if that somehow wasn't the case. "But why? Why are you choosing to be so kind when our first real interaction was me hurting you?" Munuco raised a hand to stop him. "I'll be very honest with you. This, I haven't shared with anyone but a very few people within the family, so listen. I don't need your pity, just... Listen." Noah looked up at him, a bit apprehensive. "I had a son once. He died quite a while ago. I miss him, of course, but when I see you, I can't help to see him within you. Something about you." Noah was transfixed, simply staring as he granted him the knowledge that surely only lie with himself and the dead, before now. Munuco's expression was solemn, but his sincerity was clear.

Maybe Imniliam was a fitting nickname after all. He and the god of life were almost like two sides to the same coin. For all their similarities... Still. Imniliam had the whole world at his every beck and call, one of the kindest rulers who could have lived. Munuco, though, he ruled the Carnician underworld with an iron fist. He was cruel at times, barely hidden from unwitting victims with the kind, smiling mask that he wore. He was a god among monsters, basically— He could be considered their god, truth be told.

The god of monsters, even.

But even still, Noah managed to see the good in him, and somehow the man was fond of him.

He leaned in, arms wrapping tightly around the man's rather thin frame. Munuco recoiled at first, then relaxed, melting into the touch he so desperately needed, finding himself pulling Noah in closer with hands that began to shake. It shouldn't have felt so good. It shouldn't have hurt so much. It was like the affection was something that could mend the many broken pieces in a way that nothing else could even attempt to "Noah... Thank you. I cannot say it enough, I..."  
"Don't. You don't have to. You deserve better than this all."  
"I deserve to be slaughtered without mercy by the gods."  
"Whether or not it's true, I won't do it to you. You still deserve love. I... I appreciate it, your honesty. It's nice, to get to know someone like you as a person... To hear your problems, for once. It's nice, to act like real people for a change, and to forget everything else for a while... Focus on you, here and now." Munuco could understand. Noah was only a child, still. This was too much to be hanging over his head.

"You didn't deserve this. You are too young to be facing the possibility of your own death."  
"I've gotten used to it."  
"Even if that's true, your health and the doing of another person are two different things."  
"This conflict was long overdue anyway, you know. It's just coincidence that it came to the surface over me."  
"You still didn't deserve this. You'll have many years ahead of you. They shouldn't be plagued by memories of war." Noah looked up at him and his almost frighteningly serious expression and sighed, withdrawing from the embrace. "It wouldn't be fair to everyone else now, though, leaving them to fight my battles. What about them? I just... I don't know. I know that I can't leave it to everyone else... I don't want to think about it right now. It's like it's all that anyone can think to talk about when they see me." Munuco wrapped an arm around his shoulders with a sympathetic sigh. "Very well. I understand your frustration with the matter. I believe that everyone believes you to have the answers, even though you don't. It's hard, both to tell them that you don't have the answers, and to hear that there are no answers. This is a time where everyone is vulnerable and afraid, and of course, they want answers to comfort themselves with. Historically, that was why people began to turn to religion, you know." Noah nodded. Yeah, he'd have to think about that using religion, actually. Maybe he'd have a chat with Aysus, or better yet, with Amus. Nobody was better for such a purpose than the god of time, but... For now, Munuco was good enough.


End file.
